§ Mr. Nicholas Bakerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will bring forward proposals to increase the pensions of pensioners on rates lower than the standard rate of pension by a greater cash amount than the proportion which their pension bears to the full rate of pension.
§ Mr. NewtonPensioners who receive pensions at less than the full standard rate do so because they have paid less than the required amount of national insurance 217W contributions. To increase such reduced rate pensions by a preferential rate would, therefore, be unfair to those who maintained a full contribution record and would undermine the contributory principle of the scheme.
Pensioners whose retirement pension, together with any other income, is insufficient to meet their requirements can, of course, claim supplementary pension.