The Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG CH

Tag: Pensions

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on War Disablement Pensions – 27 January 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on War Disablement Pensions on 27th January 1986.

    Dr. McDonald Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many applicants there have been for war disablement pensions arising from exposure to mustard gas in World War 2 since 1975, giving in each case (a) the date of application and (b) when the information concerning exposure to mustard gas became available.

    Mr. Major The information is not available in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Retirement Pensions – 20 December 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Retirement Pensions on 20th December 1985.

    Mr. Andrew Bowden Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what would be the cost of providing a retirement pension equal to that currently payable to British citizens in the United Kingdom (a) to all British retirement pensioners resident in the Republic of South Africa, and (b) to those aged 75 years and over;

    (2) what would be the cost of providing a widow’s pension equal to that currently payable to British citizens in the United Kingdom (a) to all British widows resident in the Republic of South Africa, and (b) to those aged 75 years and over.

    Mr. Major The cost of paying full retirement and widows’ pensions to pensioners resident in the Republic of South Africa is estimated as £9.5 million a year at current rates of benefit. Separate estimates for the cost of each benefit, for the costs in relation to British citizens only, or for pensions payable to those aged 75 and over are not available.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Pensions – 16 December 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Pensions on 16th December 1985.

    Mr. Kirkwood Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list in the Official Report any geographical area in the United Kingdom where delays are being experienced in making available the new up-rated weekly pension payments.

    Mr. Major People who receive their weekly pension payments from the Department’s Office at Newcastle were issued with uprated order books before the date the increases took effect.

    The great majority of those who receive their payments from the Department’s network of local offices were also issued with their increases by the due date, but a few people living in areas covered by the following offices may have experienced some delays:

    Bracknell

    Camberwell

    Hounslow

    Ipswich

    Kennington Park

    Kirkby (Liverpool)

    Leicester

    Tottenham

    Wood Green (North London)

    Surbiton

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Pensions – 10 December 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Pensions on 10th December 1985.

    Mr. Stan Thorne Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average net additional weekly amount which will be received by (a) a single pensioner and (b) a married pensioner couple as a result of the combined effects of the recent benefits uprating and the measures announced in the autumn statement.

    Mr. Major As a result of the recent benefits uprating the standard rate of basic retirement pension has been increased by £2.50 for a single pensioner and by £4.00 for a married pensioner couple. Increased amounts of additional pension and graduated retirement benefit may also be payable, but the exact amounts will depend upon the pensioner’s individual circumstances.

    The Chancellor’s recent autumn statement announced no measures which affected pensioner incomes: it outlined Government spending plans for the forthcoming year.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Over-80s Pension – 6 December 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Over-80s Pension on 6th December 1985.

    Mr. David Atkinson Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of the number of those receiving the over-80s pension.

    Mr. Major At March 1985 there were some 37,200 recipients of the over-80s non-contributory retirement pension.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Pensions – 2 December 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Pensions on 2nd December 1985.

    Mr. Meacher Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, if, in so far as they affect the current payment of pensions, he will list the relevant statutory instruments and orders which governed the exceptions to the general requirements for employees or others to pay contributions into the statutory pension insurance scheme between 1936 and 1948, and all the employers who obtained exception under these provisions, indicating the period during which the exception was current and, where possible, whether it was for all employees or not.

    Mr. Major Since persons in excepted employments between 1936 and 1948 did not pay contributions which were credited into the state pension scheme in 1948, legislation governing exceptions does not in general affect the current payment of pensions. However, the main provisions for excepting persons from insurance during the relevant period are contained in schedule 1 to the National Health Insurance Act 1936, as amended. In addition, a large number of regulations and orders were made under this act, such as, for example:

    Regulations

    National Health Insurance, Statutory Undertakers Total

    Exception Regulations 1939.

    National Health Insurance Exception Regulations 1942

    National Health Insurance Exception Regulations (No. 2) 1942

    National Health Insurance Exception Regulations 1943

    National Health Insurance, Statutory Undertakers Total

    Exception (Amendment) Regulations 1946

    Orders

    Subsidiary Employments Order 1937

    Subsidiary Employments Order (No. 2) 1937

    Contractors for Manual Labour Exclusions Order 1937

    Employment under Local and Public Authorities Order 1937

    Employment under Local and Public Authorities (Northern Ireland) Order 1937

    Outworkers Order 1937

    Sharefishermen Order 1937

    Employments (Exclusion and Inclusion) Order (Scotland) 1937

    Subsidiary Employment Order (Northern Ireland) 1938

    The full information requested is not readily available, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

    It would not be appropriate to list all the employers who from time to time obtained exception under these provisions, even if the information were available. However, in September 1946, there were some 440 employers with excepted employments in Great Britain and 135 in Northern Ireland. No information is available on the proportion of those employers whose employment was excepted.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on War Widows (Pensions) – 26 November 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on War Widows (Pensions) on 26th November 1985.

    Mr. Amess Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will consider reviewing the financial arrangements for war widows’ pensions.

    Mr. Major War widows pensions are kept under regular review. They were increased on 25 November by seven per cent. The age allowances which are payable with war widows pensions, and which were improved significantly last year, were also increased by seven per cent. from 25 November.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on War Widows – 25 November 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on War Widows on 25th November 1985.

    Mr. Lofthouse Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to award the second pension to pre-31 March 1973 war widows to bring them in line with service widows after that date.

    Mr. Major No. Pensions under the war pensions scheme administered by the Department are payable on the same basis to all widows irrespective of the date of their husband’s service. The pensions which are payable, in addition. under the occupational pension scheme for the Armed Forces to the widows of men who served since 31 March 1973 are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence.

  • Mr Major’s Written Question on Officers (Pensions) – 17 December 1979

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s Parliamentary written question on Officers (Pensions), published on 17th December 1979.

    Mr. Major asked the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to announce the result of his review of the anomalous position still prevailing in respect of the retired pay of officers of the Armed Forces under the provisions of the 1976 and 1977 pension codes; and whether any increase will be backdated.

    Mr. Speed The review which the Government have been undertaking relates to all the public service pension schemes, which includes local government, teachers, doctors, nurses, policemen, firemen and civil servants as well as the Armed Forces.

    The Government will be making a comprehensive statement shortly.