§ 53. Mr. Chapmanasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many claims for sickness benefit were rejected in the last complete year on the ground that good cause had not been shown for delay in making the claim.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterThe annual figure asked for is not available, but it has been estimated on a sample basis that the proportion of new spells of incapacity, for any part of which sickness benefit was disallowed on the ground that good cause had not been shown for delay in making the claim, was 0.9 per cent.
§ 54. Mr. Chapmanasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether his attention has been drawn to the cases of S. A. Tonks and Wilfred Took, in which claims for sickness benefit have been rejected on a ruling as to the establishment of good cause for a delayed claim; and whether he will ask the National Insurance Advisory Committee to report on the possibility of giving greater discretion to local insurance officers and tribunals on this point, in view of the rigidity of the case law which has now been built up.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterYes. I am aware of the hon. Member's correspondence regarding these two cases, and of the decisions given on them by the independent statutory authorities. In reply to the second part of the Question, I do not think that a further reference to the Advisory Committee on this subject would be justified in present circumstances.