§ Lord ABERDAREasked Her Majesty's Government:
What would be the estimated cost of allowing the non-contributory invalidity pension to be paid in full regardless of the recipient's employment income.
§ Lord WELLS-PESTELLThe basic condition for payment of non-contributory invalidity pension is incapacity for work; that is, in this context, work for which an employer would pay. There are no separate conditions relating to disablement or ill-health as such. Payment of the benefit irrespective of the beneficiary's employment income would thus, in effect, remove the basic condition of eligibility, leaving nothing in its place. The cost would be the cost of a quite new benefit, available on conditions which would have to be specified before the cost could be estimated.