asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will direct his Department to cease the efforts being made to recover £182.40 from an employee pensioner in receipt of a British contributory pension (details supplied) arising from retrospective and current adjustments in the earned British pension, and disclosed from time to time to his Department through the production of the pension book; if he considers it reasonable to expect persons in receipt of British pensions to be aware of penal clauses in the 1960 Social Welfare Act; and if he will contrast the application of the means test to the employee pensioner concerned with its application to substantial and wealthy persons of property in the area, who have had, or could have, the income which arises from the sale or disposal of agricultural land at ruling high prices.
Written Answers . - Recovery of Pension Money .
: The local pension committee decided in this case that the person concerned was not entitled to sums paid to him on foot of old age pension and he is liable by law to repay these sums, the net amount of which is £156.90. The person concerned had the right to appeal against the decision but did not do so.
All non-contributory old age pensioners are notified when their pension books are first issued to them of the obligation to notify a social welfare officer of any subsequent increases in their property or income and of the liability falling on them to repay any sums overpaid to them if they do not do so. A reminder is also printed on the cover of every pension book.
In accordance with statutory provisions the person concerned in this case was assessed under the Rule relating to income in cash with means consisting of his British pension. A person in occupation of land would be assessed with the yearly value of the advantage accruing to him from the use or enjoyment of the property.
A person who sold his land would not be assessed with the income arising from the proceeds of the sale but with the yearly value of the capital in his possession in accordance with the method of calculation prescribed in the rule relating to property not personally used or enjoyed.