§ 59. Mr. Houghtonasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he is aware that the recent relaxation of the earnings rule brings no benefit to many widows and women retirement pensioners, because of the ruling that more than twelve hours of work per week is inconsistent with retirement and whether he will relax this rule.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterThe hon. Member is, I think, under some misapprehension. The so-called twelve-hours rule is only one of the tests applied by the National Insurance Commissioner to the question of retirement, and as such has no application to recipients of widows' pensions. So far as applications for retirement pensions are concerned, the overriding test is that laid down in Section 20 of the National Insurance Act, 1946, as to whether the work is "not inconsistent with retirement". I do not think that the construction placed upon this has so far given rise to serious difficulty, but I intend to keep a close watch on it in connection with future changes in the earnings limits.
§ 60. Mr. Houghtonasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he will refer the question of further relaxation of the earnings rule to the National Insurance Advisory Council before making any new draft regulations.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterIn accordance with Section 77 of the National Insurance Act, 1946, regulations making further relaxations in the earnings rule will be submitted in draft to the National Insurance Advisory Committee.