§ Mr. Ness Edwardsasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that officers of the Assistance Board dealing with supplementary pensions are not providing for accumulated need in cases in which delay has occurred in determining the right to contributory old age pensions; and whether he will take the necessary steps to avert this hardship?
Mr. M. MacDonaldUntil a man's claim to his old age pension has been decided and he becomes entitled to receive his weekly payments he is not eligible for a supplementary pension. If before this stage is reached he is in need of help he can apply to the public assistance authority who can grant relief subject to a right to reimbursement from the Board of relief granted after the date on which the pension began to accrue. Moreover, if delay occurs the determination of a right to an old age pension, the pensioner receives retrospective payments and these would go a long way to meet what the hon. Member has in mind. In the circumstances no question of accumulated needs should arise but I will gladly have inquiries made into any case the hon. Member may have in mind if he will let me have particulars.
§ Mr. Edwardsasked the Minister of Health why T. G. Jones, 2, Cardiff Road, Nantganv, an ex-soldier who was emigrated under a Government scheme and was compelled to return on account of ill-health has been refused an old age pension, because he carried out the request to emigrate?
Mr. MacDonaldMr. Jones' claim to a non-contributory pension was disallowed solely upon the ground that he did not fulfil the statutory condition as to residence in the United Kingdom. This condition requires that a claimant who is a natural-born British subject shall have resided in the United Kingdom for an 385W aggregate period of not less than 12 years since attaining the age of 50. When his claim was determined by my predecessor, in January, 1937, Mr. Jones had been so resident for rather less than eight years, but it will be open to him to submit a fresh claim at any time not more than four months before the date on which he will prima facie be entitled to receive a pension. I am not aware of the exact dates involved, but it would appear from these facts that Mr. Jones should submit such a claim in the near future.