Provision Of Veterans' Age Allowance Outlined

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30811, 24 July 1965, Page 23

Provision Of Veterans ' Age Allowance Outlined

The way in which a war veteran’s aMowance is supplemented by the special age supplement winch may be paid to war veterans and their wives at the age of 65 is explained by the Minister in Charge of War Penstons (Mr Kinsella) in a reply to a correspondent. “MisleacHng.” "Misleading” wrote. “I would like to ask the Minister of Pensions to explain how the quarter-disabled soldierpensioner gets his rise. My husband got word to say his disability pension would be £4 10s a month-—6s more—but instead of bis getting £3 for being over 65 years, 6s would be deducted from that. Therefore he gets 6s in his right hand and the wonderful Government takes 6s out of his left hand. Where exactly is the rise?” Mr Kinsella respites.—‘The correspondent states that after the statutory increases in war disablement pensions from April 1, 1965, her husband’s pension was increased to £4 10s each four weeks. It appears therefore that the husband is receiving a pension in respect of 20 per cent of total disablement and I would confirm that the pension was increased from £4 4s to £4 10s each four weeks from April 1. “In addition to the war disablement pension the correspondent’s husband is apparently also receiving a war veteran’s allowance supplemented by the special ‘age supplement’ which may be paid to war veterans and their wives at age 65. The basic rate of war veterans allowance for a married man is £499 4s a year and this rate is required to be reduced by the combined income of the husband and wife in excess of £2OB a year. In assessing both single and married

■ men’s entitlement to the basic war veterans’ allowance any pension received in respect of disablement is disregarded. “However, as previously explained in my letter of June 25, 1965 concerning the correspondence received from “Houplines,” a war disablement pension is treated as “income” In assessing a war veteran’s or his wife’s entitlement to the additional age supplement referred to above. “Where both the veteran and his wife have attained the age of 65 years the maximum supplement is £7B a year and the rate is required to be reduced by the combined income, including any war disablement pension payable, in excess of £l3O a year. Where one party only has reached the age of 65 years the maximum supplement is £39 a year and the rate is required to be reduced by the couple’s combined income, including any war disablement pension payable, in excess of £169 a year. It should be noted, however, that this procedure does not come into operation unless the total income for a single veteran is more than £9 6s a week and for a married veteran more than £l3 12s a week.” “If the above procedure were not followed It would be possible for a disabled serviceman on the primary war pension plus the economic pension to be worse off than a war veteran with only a minor degree of disablement. “After the increases in war disablement pension from April 1, 1965, it was necessary in some war veterans’ allowance cases to review the age supplements and it appears that your correspondent’s husband is in this category,” Mr Kinsella said.