§ Sir J. Smedley Crookeasked the Minister of Pensions whether he can state the approximate cost of the concessions to disability pensioners through the Unemployment Insurance and Assistance Acts and the Poor Law Act, 1934, which are claimed to be, in effect, a direct subsidy in favour of the disabled men who are industrially handicapped or incapacitated?
§ Mr. RamsbothamI am informed by my right hon. Friends the Ministers of Health and Labour, within whose, sphere the Acts referred to lie, that no figures as to the cost are available, and could not1146W be obtained without detailed investigation of a very large number of individual cases.
§ Sir J. Smedley Crookeasked the Minister of Pensions how many copies of his circular letter on the subject of the Voluntary Contributory Pension Scheme were actually sent to disability pensioners, other ranks; how many replies were received in conjunction therewith; and how many of the applicants were found to be ineligible for admission to the scheme on the ground of age, excessive income, and other reasons, respectively?
§ Mr. RamsbothamThe circular letter referred to, which related generally to the man's position in National Insurance as well as to the new Voluntary Contributory Pension Scheme was sent to approximately 365,000 of the disability pensioners mentioned. Thirty-three thousand requests for further information or advice were received, of which 12,500 related to the new Voluntary Contributory Scheme. Of the cases so far determined by the Ministry of Health, 1,909 have been accepted. Of the 425 applications rejected to date, 264 were on account of age, 34 by reason of excessive income, 119 because of existing insurance or excepted employment, and eight were found to be lacking the necessary residential qualification.