§ Mr. GROVESasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the total number of persons, men and women separately, who were in receipt of the old age pension for 1923 and 1924, giving the various rates separately; the number of applications made for March, 1924, and March, 1925; and the number of rejections, giving the various causes of rejection?
Mr. GUINNESS1. The total number of old age pensions in payment in England, Wales and Scotland on 31st December, 1923, and 31st December, 1924, respectively was as follows:—
1923 1924 Men … 327,312 364,432 Women … 593,815 632,728 Total … 921,127 997,160 It is not possible to give figures showing the pensions payable to men and women separately at the different rates, but the total number of pensions in payment at the various rates was as follows: —
1717W
1923 1924 10s. … 858,123 975,577 8s. … 25,047 6,612 6s. … 16.810 5,795 5s. … 156 31 4s. … 13,030 5,203 3s. … 19 8 2s. … 6,439 3,109 1s. … 1,503 775 Total … 921,127 997,160 2. No information is available as to the number of applications for old age pensions made during the months of March, 1924, and March, 1925, but the figures for the quarter ended 31st March in each year are:—
1924 1925 51,435 60,004 3. As regards the number of claims rejected in the quarters ended 31st March, 1924, and 31st March, 1925, figures are only available giving the combined numbers of claims rejected and pensions revoked, which are as follows:
Nature of disqualification. 1924. 1925. Age … 1,788 2,198 Poor relief … 3,116 3,433 Means … 2,972 4,478 Other causes … 483 527 Total … 8,359 10,636