§ Sir R. ASKEasked the Minister of Health the number of widows who have ceased to draw pensions under the Widows', Orphans', and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, 1925, during the year ended 31st March, 1931, on account of the youngest child having reached the age of 14, or 16 in cases where the child 1962W remained at school until 16 years of age; and the number of pensioners of whose death notice has reached the Ministry of Health during such year, giving the numbers, respectively, of widows, children, orphans, and aged persons?
§ Mr. GREENWOODI would point out that as the result of an amendment embodied in the Contributory Pensions Act, 1929, a widow whose title to a pension was dependent on there being a child under the age of 14 does not cease to be entitled to a pension before her youngest child attains 16. The number of such widows whose pensions ceased during the year ended 31st March, 1931, was 10,342; the number of beneficiaries whose deaths were notified during the year comprised 10,275 widows, 838 children and 63,232 aged persons. It is not possible to divide the figure for children between those for whom allowances and those for whom orphans' pensions were payable.
§ Sir R. ASKEasked the Minister of Health the number of applications for widows', children's and orphans' pensions, respectively, disallowed under the Widows', Orphans', and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, 1925, during the year ended 31st March, 1931, and the principal reasons for disallowance; the number of widows in receipt of pensions whose widowhood commenced before 4th January, 1926; and the number of children and orphans, respectively, in respect of whom allowances are paid whose qualifications were previous to 4th January, 1926?
§ Mr. GREENWOODDuring the year ended 31st March, 1931, 20,251 claims for widows' pensions and 331 claims for orphans' pensions were rejected. The number of children included in the rejected claims for widows' pensions cannot be stated. The principal reasons for disallowance were failure to satisfy the insurance and contribution conditions. On 31st March, 1931, 343,427 widows were in receipt of pensions, allowances were being paid in respect of 104,304 children, and orphans' pensions in respect of 8,436 orphans, whose qualifications were based on the insurance or employment of persons who died before 4th January, 1926.
§ Sir R. ASKEasked the Minister of Health the number of appeals during the year ended 31st March, 1931, under the 1963W Widows', Orphans', and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, 1925, by applicants for or recipients of old age pensions, widows' pensions, children's allowances, and orphans' pensions, respectively, stating the number of successful appeals, respectively, and also the number of pensioners under the Act who are in receipt of outdoor relief and institutional relief, respectively, and the amount expended in such relief?
§ Mr. GREENWOODThe number of appeals made during the year ended 31st March, 1931, under the Widows', Orphans', and Old Age Contributory
— Number persons in receipt of pensions or allowances who, on the 1st January, 1931, were also in receipt of— Institutional Relief. Domiciliary Relief. Poor Relief (i.e. totals of preceding columns). Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Acts, 1925 and 1929. Widows in receipt of widows' pensions 1,208 44,232 45,440 Children in respect of whom children's allowances were paid. 343 34,626 34,969 Orphans in receipt of orphans' pensions 331 486 817 1,882 79,344 81,226 Old Age Pensions Acts, 1908 to 1924, and the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Acts, 1925 and 1929.* Persons over 65 years of age, in receipt of widows' or old age pensions. 15,610 125,642 †141,252 * The number of old age pensioners under the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Acts, 1925 and 1929, who are in receipt of relief have not been separately ascertained. † Including 9,995 widows over 65 years of age accounted for in the figure of 45,440 above.
§ Sir R. ASKEasked the Minister of Health the number of applications for widows', children's, and orphans' pensions, respectively, under the Widows', Orphans', and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, 1925, made during the year ended 31st March, 1931; the number of such pensions, respectively, paid; and the amounts, respectively, paid during such year?
§ Mr. GREENWOODThe number of applications for widows' and orphans' pensions under the. Contributory Pensions Act, 1925, made during the year ended 31st March, 1931, was 92,133 and 4,059 respectively, but it is not possible to give the number of children for whom
1964WPensions Act, 1925, was, for widows' and orphans' pensions 7,396 and for old age pensions 4,340, of which 489 and 529 respectively were successful. The records do not show separately the number of appeals for widows' pensions and for orphans' pensions nor is it possible to state how many children for whom allowances were claimed were included in the cases of widows' pensions. As regards the number of pensioners in receipt of poor relief the information available, which relates to England and Wales only, is shown below. The cost of relief to these persons is not distinguished in the accounts of Poor Law authorities.
allowances were claimed as part of the widows' pensions. On 31st March, 1931, payments were being made under the Act to, or in respect of, 346,373 widows, 296,205 children and 17,687 orphans. The amounts paid during the year ended 31st March were approximately £11,958,800 for widows' pensions, including children's allowances, and £345,020 for orphans' pensions.
§ Sir R. ASKEasked the Minister of Health the estimated number of insured persons under the Widows', Orphans', and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, 1925; the number of men and women, respectively, who are voluntary contributors; how many of these became voluntary 1965W contributors during the year ended 31st March, 1931; and the cost of administration of pensions under the Act by Post Offices and the Ministry of Health, respectively?
§ Mr. GREENWOODThe estimated number of insured persons under the Widows', Orphans', and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, 1925, is 17,413,500. The number of voluntary contributors is 339,500 men and 51,900 women. Figures are not available of the number who became voluntary contributors during the year ended 31st March, 1931. The estimated costs by public departments to be incurred in the year 1931–32 in respect of the administration of the Contributory Pensions Acts, 1925 and 1929, are as follow:
£ General Post Office 565,000 Ministry of Health and Department of Health for Scotland 586,000 Other Departments 76,450