§ 100. Mr. Haireasked the Minister of National Insurance if he intends to repay deductions made since 5th July last from War Pensions in respect of sickness benefits received under the National Insurance Scheme.
§ Mr. J. GriffithsNo such deductions have been made from war pensions. But if my hon. Friend has in mind the restrictions on the personal rate of sickness benefit payable to certain war pensioners which were removed as from 23rd December by the National Insurance (Overlapping Benefits) Regulations, 1948, I have no power to make the alteration retrospective.
§ Mr. Platts-Millsasked the Minister of National Insurance, if he is aware that where an insured person has exhausted his right to sickness benefit under the old National Health Insurance Acts, and has not qualified for disablement benefit, he is not entitled to sickness benefit under 104W the new Act until he has paid 13 qualifying contributions in respect of weeks of employment since his title to sickness benefit under the old Act ended; that this regulation creates hardship in the case of young persons who have just entered adult insurance; and whether he will take steps to end the anomaly.
§ Mr. J. GriffithsThis condition, which is laid down by Section 12 (3) of the National Insurance Act, 1946, is applicable to all cases where the right to sickness benefit has been exhausted, whether under the old Act or the new. I am not aware that any anomaly arises from its application to cases in which the right to benefit was exhausted under the earlier scheme. The condition is, in fact, substantially easier than that which obtained under the old scheme.