Part of the debate – in the House of Commons am ar 15 Gorffennaf 1925.
I am inclined to agree, with the hon. Member who moved the Amendment, although I do not see much difference between one month and two months. It might be justifiable under the Old Age Pensions Act, which relates to a direct grant from the State, to say that the pension shall begin when the applicant applies for it, because the Government are masters of the situation; they are giving away something for nothing, but here we are dealing with a contractual obligation. Persons pay money in order to buy benefits, and whether they apply within a month or six months, the fact remains that they have bought the benefit. In ordinary insurance, unless the period fixed by some statutory regulation has elapsed, they are absolutely entitled, whether they apply early or late. I can well understand that stale applications always involve more clerical work and put the Ministry to some expense, but why the amount of that extra expense should be measured by the amount that should be payable between the time when it was due and the time when the application was made is a matter which I am wholly at a loss to understand.