§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 25 February,Official Report, column 406, if he will itemise the administrative complexities involved in changing the level of payment for benefit beneficiaries.
§ Miss WiddecombeFor example, most retirement pensioners are paid by order books which last for 20 weeks. This is for the convenience of pensioners and to reduce costs of administration. It follows that the production of many order books containing payment at the new rate in April has to start that much in advance. Other benefits are also paid by order book and require a similar period to recalculate their entitlement and prepare the books.