§ Mr. Longdenasked the Minister of National Insurance whether he is aware of the anxiety that is prevalent among old age pensioners on account of their present precarious position, and of the time that must elapse before a Government Bill could be implemented; and if he can make a public announcement concerning the Government's attitude towards a monetary measure and the means test.
§ Mr. J. GriffithsI would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave yesterday to my hon. Friend the Member for King's Norton (Mr. Blackburn).
§ Sub-Lieutenant Austinasked the Minister of National Insurance what would be the cost of raising the basic rate of old age pensions from 10s. to 30s. per week; and what would be the saving in supplementary payments as a consequence.
§ Mr. J. GriffithsAssuming that the means scale for non-contributory old age pensions remained unaltered, and that widows over 60 in receipt of contributory widows' pensions are included, the additional cost at the present time of paying old age pensions to the classes of persons now eligible for pensions at the basic rate of 30s. a week would, it is estimated, be about £210,000,000 a year, and would rise rapidly with the growth in the aged population. The consequential savings in supplementary pensions are estimated to be about £60,000,000 a year.
§ Mr. Goronwy Robertsasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he will give the number of persons who quali- 812W fied for non-contributory old age pensions, and the number of applications for such pensions that were rejected, in each of the past 10 years.
§ Mr. Glenvil HallThe figures asked for are set out below:
Non-contributory old age pensions. Year ended 31st March. Number of applicants who qualified. Number of applicants rejected. 1936 … 55,589 10,142 1937 … 54,910 10,867 1938 … 57,221 10,509 1939 … 62,492 10,905 1940 … 55,138 9,149 1941 … 55,375 10,746 1942 … 49,084 11,872 1943 … 44,060 14,647 1944 … 40,209 14,734 1945 … 39,774 15,322