§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether all the arrangements for the payment of noncontributory invalidity pension to married women incapable of their normal household duties have been finalised; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Alfred MorrisYes. The noncontributory invalidity pension will be payable from 17th November to married women of working age who are incapable both of their normal household duties and of paid work. As many as 40,000 married women may be eligible to receive a new, tax-free, benefit of £ 10. 50 a week as a result of this important extension of our social security system.
Eligibility for this new benefit will be decided by independent statutory authorities—in the first instance by the insurance officer, with appeal rights to a local tribunal and thence to the National Insurance Commissioner. In addition to the claim form, the insurance officer will normally need a medical report on the claimant, giving details of the effects of her impairments on those functions which are relevant to normal household duties. My right hon. Friend has now reached agreement with the British Medical Association on the necessary arrangements, and we hope that the medical report will normally be completed by the disabled housewife's own family doctor.
To allow adequate time to deal with the initial volume of claims, we shall be using both TV and Press advertisements to invite claims from 30th August.
110WI trust that all hon. and right hon. Members, and others, will encourage people likely to be eligible for the new benefit to obtain the combined leaflet and claim form as soon as it is advertised. The volume of claims might mean that it proves impossible to get order books to all successful claimants by 17th November. The sooner people claim after 30th August, the more chance there will be of those who qualify receiving their order books on time.
We shall now be making the necessary commencement order and regulations.