§ Mrs. Dunwoodyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will change his policy to ensure that in cases where pensioners lose back-dated pension benefit as a result of his Department's failure to notify them of the right to claim, the three and 12-month back payment limits now in force will be waived.
§ Dr. BoysonWe have referred the question of time limits for claiming benefits to the social security advisory committee for consideration. It would be premature to take any decisions on the future of time limits before we have received its report.
§ Mrs. Dunwoodyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will consider seeking to introduce a legal obligation on his Department to inform pension claimants of their entitlement to claim pension.
606W
National Health Service Activity 1974 to 1982—England Thousands 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 *1982 (a). Hospital Services In patient discharges and deaths 5,172 4,976 5,255 5,345 5,370 5,400 5,670 5,760 5,720 Day care attendances 450 422 481 536 562 592 671 714 712 Out patient attendances 33,352 30,947 32,396 33,282 33,950 34,100 35,243 35,571 35,654 Accident and emergency attendances 12,921 12,792 13,077 13,123 13,360 13,219 13,053 13,308 13,471
§ Dr. BoysonWe have no plans to do so. The present informal arrangements whereby the Department contacts prospective pensioners approximately four months before pension age generally work well. The main difficulty arises where the Department has not been notified of a beneficiary's change of address. It has been a Long-standing principle of social security law that a beneficiary should take reasonable measures to acquaint himself with his rights and duties under the social security Acts, and to take reasonable steps to obtain necessary information.