asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will state in respect of the past twelve months the number of old age and other State pensions payable by his Department which were reduced in amount or stopped because the pensioners won a prize in a foot ball pool, raffle or other like event.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Reduction or Stoppage of Prize-winners' Pensions
54.
Mr. Ryan
It is assumed that the Deputy's question arises from a complaint which appeared in a Dublin evening newspaper on 25th January last. In this connection it should be stated that the law requires that where a person who is in receipt of any pension which is subject to a means test receives an increase in means that person's means must be reinvestigated and if the reinvestigation discloses that the person is not entitled to the rate of pension in payment the pension must be reduced or revoked, as the case may require. There is some doubt, however, as to whether the letter referred to could have been based on an actual case. An old age pension could not be reduced by the figure of 7/6d. per week mentioned in the letter, since old age pension rates are graded in 5/- steps and a 27/6d. per week pension could only be be reduced to 22/6d. or 17/6d. or 12/6d. per week or else revoked entirely. Neither would it be reduced for a period of two years or any specific period. A decision reducing a pension would operate indefinitely until superseded by a later decision. The sum of £90 7 6d. mentioned in the letter would be treated as capital for the purpose of assessing means and the annual value of this sum would be £3 5 4d. This would not operate to reduce a pension of 27/6d. per week unless the pensioner had other means exceeding £49 4 8d. per year.
A special enquiry made to ascertain the information sought by the Deputy indicates that there were four cases of the kind during the past twelve months, all relating to old age pensions. In one case the pensioner, who had been in receipt of the maximum pension of 27/6d. per week won £2,000 in a Sunday newspaper Crossword competition. The annual value of this sum, £178 15 Od., exceeded the statutory limit, £104 15 0d., for receipt of a pension and accordingly the pension was revoked by decision of the local pension committee. Details of the other three cases are not available at present but it is presumed that they would have followed a somewhat similar course.
If they are all as well off as that man they are all right.
If he won money in the Prize Bonds Scheme, would it count?
When that case arises, the Deputy may raise a Question on the matter.
If an old age pensioner puts money into the Prize Bonds Scheme and does not win a prize, is it calculated as means?
The old age pensioners can do what they like with their money.
I know one who put money into Prize Bonds and suffered for it. He did—and I will put down a Question for the Parliamentary Secretary next week. He is dodging away all this afternoon.