§ 46. Mr. Wyattasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many persons are in receipt of a pension or benefit of 6d. per week or less; and how much it costs to administer each such pension including the cost of printing the relevant pension benefit book, postage, and allocation of overheads in the relevant departments on a proportionate basis of time involved.
§ Mr. EnnalsPensions at the rate of 6d. a week awarded under the graduated pensions scheme introduced in 1961 are usually paid together with a flat-rate retirement pension. About 300,000 are paid in this way. All 6d. pensions payable by themselves have to be commuted, unless they are earned by married women who will qualify for a fiat-rate retirement pension later on through their husband's insurance. Such pensions, of which there are about 2,000, are paid meanwhile either by four-weekly orders issued in books covering up to a year or, at the claimant's request, once a quarter. The total cost of paying one of these benefits for a year by monthly order is estimated at 9s. 0d.