§ 61. Mr. Huntasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, in view of the misunderstandings which arise from the existing rules regarding the starting date for the payment of retirement pensions, she will issue a departmental leaflet to publicise the fact that when the date 414W of retirement is a day of the week other than a Thursday the pension starts from the following Thursday, and thus enable impending retirement pensioners to arrange their retirement date accordingly.
§ Mr. O'MalleyInformation on this point is contained in the November 1974 version of leaflet NI15 "Your retirement pension", which will be available at social security offices within a few days.
§ Mr. Dodsworthasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will bring the arrangements for paying retirement pensions into line with those for family allowances, so that there is no abatement in respect of long stays in hospital in either case.
§ Mr. Alec JonesNo. Retirement pension is a personal benefit for the maintenance of the individual pensioner, which it is appropriate to reduce when a pensioner is maintained in hospital for a prolonged period, while family allowances are a contribution towards the needs of the family as a whole—of which a child in hospital can remain part.