§ Mr. Stallardasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, in order to reduce the hardships caused to old people through departmental and postal delays, and to conserve resources, she will issue instructions to revert to the practice of issuing pension books etc., yearly, or half-yearly, instead of the present quarterly issue.
§ Mr. Alec JonesI do not think this would be helpful. Order books are issued quarterly to facilitate changes in benefit rates. Pensioners do not have the inconvenience of sending their books to the local office for overstamping when pensions are uprated and possibility of loss in the post and delay in payment at these 545W times is reduced. Difficulties due to non-receipt of quarterly order books are comparatively rare, though I am aware that there have recently been such difficulties, which I regret, in the case of one of my hon. Friend's constituents.