Mr. De la Bèreasked the Minister of Pensions how many disabled pensioners and their families were receiving on 1st January last, including all additional allowances and supplementary payments other than family allowances, £1 a week or less, more than £1 a week and up to £2, more than £2 a week and up to £3, more than £3 a week and up to £4 and more than £4 a week.
§ Mr. Wilfred PalingI regret that the information asked for could be obtained only by scrutinising individually the 755,000 disablement awards in payment. The expenditure of time and labour involved would not in my view be justified.
Mr. De la Bèreasked the Minister of Pensions the total number and annual cost of all disablement awards and additional allowances on 31st December, 1920, 31st 175W December, 1938, and 31st December, 1946, together with the estimated number and cost of the additional awards and allowances which came into operation on 1st January last.
§ Mr. Wilfred PalingThe approximate numbers and annual cost at the dates stated were as follow:
— Disablement Awards. Additional Allowances. Cost. 1920 1,175,000 1,270,000 £59,850,000 1938 430,000 126,000 £21,700,000 1946 755,000 925,000 £51,000,000 The numbers of constant attendance allowances in payment in 1920 and 1938 are not available. As a result of the changes which came into operation on 1st January last, it is estimated that allowances will be payable for a further 22,000 wives and 25,000 children. The changes as regards constant attendance allowance will affect some 1,200 cases. The annual cost of these improvements will be about £500,000 increasing to £750,000.