§ 78. Mr. R. Harrisasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will give consideration to making Service disability pensions permanent awards for life when a pensioner in receipt of a 100 per cent. disability plus unemployability supplement reaches the age of 60 years.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterNo. Since the 1939–45 war it has been settled policy not to make permanent awards, and I think this is the right policy, since the medical condition of war pensioners does in fact both improve and deteriorate.
§ 92. Mr. Simmonsasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will consider some additional help for the ageing severely disabled men of the 1914–18 war who are aged 58 to 64 and ineligible for the recently introduced age allowance at least equal to the lowered standard of occupation allowance, granted to many thousands of younger disabled men who are still able to work.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterWhile I sympathise with the objects which the hon. Member has in mind, I do not think the particular provision which he suggests is appropriate. He will of course be aware that some of the most severely disabled men in this age group will already be receiving the allowance to which he refers or other special allowances, including the improvements in the amount and scope of comforts allowance which came into effect at the beginning of February.