§ Mr. Edwin Wainwrightasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the estimated cost of increasing the amount, from £1 to £1 10s. of other incomes which are disregarded when calculating supplementary pensions paid to people over pension age.
§ Mr. EnnalsThe cost will depend on the individual circumstances of supplementary pensioners and on the number of people over pension age who, as a result of the change, become entitled to a supplementary pension. But the cost might be of the order of £3½-£4 million a year, on the assumption that no changes were made in other disregards such as those for war and industrial injury disability pensions and for earnings. A similar 50 per cent. increase for all disregards in relation to all supplementary benefit recipients might cost about £12 million a year.