HC Deb 06 August 1941 vol 373 c1970W
Mr. Silkin

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the great inconvenience caused to persons applying for old age pensions, by reason of the fact that they have to have forms of application signed by persons having certain qualifications, who can personally identify the applicant; and that in many cases the applicant is not known to persons having such qualifications, and will he, having regard to the fact that all applications for old age pensions are most carefully investigated, dispense with such formality?

Mr. E. Brown

The classes of persons qualified to certify claims for old age pension offer the claimant a very wide range of choice, and I am not aware that any general inconvenience is caused by this desirable safeguard, the object of which is to secure the independent evidence of a responsible person that the statements in the claim are true to the best of the certifier's knowledge and belief.