HC Deb 25 October 1973 vol 861 cc608-9W
Mr. Meacher

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many persons he estimates are currently subject to a discrimination of their pension as a result of the linking condition for pre-1948 contributions not being met; what is the average value of the contributions thus disqualified; and if he will either relax the rigidity of this linking requirement or else allow full reimbursement of contributions thus sacrificed.

Mr. Dean

My right hon. Friend has no proposals for changing the linking rules. The number of persons affected and the average value of the contributions not taken into account under those rules are not known but, as the contributions were properly paid to the State insurance schemes in force at the time, it would in any case be contrary to the principles governing such payments to provide for them to be refunded.

Mr. Meacher

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many current retirement pensioners he estimates are subject to a reduction, potential or actual, in their entitlement to, respectively, supplementary pension, rent rebates or rent allowances, and to any other means-tested benefit as a result of, respectively, an occupational pension, State pension increments earned after normal retirement age, or any other source of income; and what he estimates were the comparable figures, respectively, 20, 15, 10 and 5 years ago.

Mr. Dean

The following table gives the information available in relation to people receiving supplementary pensions, excluding widows age 60–64 and including for 1972 people receiving old persons' pensions. No figures are available in relation to other means-tested benefits.