§ 16. Dr. Kingasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the number of pensioners affected when the earnings limit was raised from 20s. to 40s. in 1951.
§ Mr. PeakeThe number of pensioners with reduced or extinguished pensions due to earnings in 1951 was something like 50,000. But an unknown number of these will have had earnings large enough to extinguish pension whether the limit was 20s. or 40s., so that the change could not have affected them.
§ 47 and 49. Mr. Nabarroasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance (1) whether he will state the reasons militating against an increase in the limit of earnings of old-age pensioners between 65 and 70 years of age, from 40s. per week to 80s. per week;
(2) what steps he is now taking to survey the effect of the earnings rule, limiting the weekly wage of retirement pensioners to 40s. per week until they reach the age of 70 years, upon such pensioners continuing full-time employment; and, in view of the need for additional industrial workers, notably in the Midlands area of Kidderminster, Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton, and the Black Country, what additional incentives he proposes to offer retirement pensioners to remain in full-time industrial employment.
§ Mr. PeakeThe National Insurance Advisory Committee will, no doubt, cover matters of this kind in the review which, as I said in reply to the hon. Member for Bolton, West (Mr. Holt) and my hon. 69W Friends the Members for Hertford (Lord Balniel) and Barry (Mr. Gower), they are being asked to undertake.
§ 48. Mr. Nabarroasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what aggregate sum of money during a full year, ended on the latest convenient date, was mulcted from the retirement pensions of the 50,000, approximately, men and women who suffered pensions deductions under the limit of 40s. per week earnings provided under the earnings rule; and how many men and women had their retirement pensions extinguished by the level of their earnings.
§ Mr. PeakeI do not understand my hon. Friend's use of the word mulcted but it is estimated that the deductions from retirement pensions amount to about £2 million a year; in about two-thirds of the cases in which reductions are made the pension is extinguished for a period.
§ 64. Mr. Gowerasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what proportion of retirement pensioners, between the ages of 65 and 70 years, are now having deductions made in their pensions on account of earning more than £2 per week: what this proportion was before the permitted earnings of retirement pensioners were increased in 1951; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. PeakeAbout 4 per cent. of men retirement pensioners between the ages of 65 and 70 have deductions made from their pensions at some time in the course of a year. I regret that the corresponding proportion in 1951 is not known.
§ Mr. Gowerasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what proportion of widows' pensions are now being reduced on account of the earnings of the recipients; how this figure compares with the proportion in 1951; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. PeakeAbout one in seven widow pensioners have deductions made from their pensions at some time in the course of a year. I regret that the corresponding proportion in 1951 is not known.
§ Mr. Gowerasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many people in the areas of Glamorgan and Barry, respectively, were receiving 70W retirement pensions at the last convenient date; how many of these, in each case, had deductions made in their pensions on account of earning more than £2 per week; and if he will make a statement.