BRITISH PENSIONS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 6 May 1925, Page 5

BRITISH PENSIONS

PROVISIONS OF BILL

(By Electric Tolegraph.—Copyright.) (Keuter's Telegrama.j

LONDON, May 5.

The pensions schemes outlined by Mr Churchill in his Budget speech are ileal* with in the Widows, Orphans, and Old Ago Contributory Pensions Bill published to-day, accompanied by an explanatory memorandum and the Government Actuary’s report. The new scheme contemplates old age pensions at 65 instead of 70. which pass on attainment of the ago of 70 into pensions under the Old Age Pensions Act freed from restrictions and disqualifications at present applying thereto. Beneficiaries are survivors of workers. Persons ceasing to he compulsorily insurable on leaving employment, or who have already ceased to be insured before the inception of the new scheme are given the option to continue or resume insurance as voluntary contributors nl the full rate of contributions ordinarily payable by an employer and employee jointly, thus everyone who becomes insuralily employed for a minimum period of two years is enabled to take advantage of the scheme. Voluntaries equally with employees must be insured for health insurance and pensions. Certain classes of persons who were exempted from liability to be insured for health- insurance arc now required to he insured for widows', orphans’, and old age pensions if the terms of employment do not provide these benefits. Special provision is made for widows and children of insureds who died before the inception of the scheme. Provisions to safeguard the scheme against abuse include clauses whereby wives and widows of men marrying after 60 are only entitled to a pension when or if married four years, unless in the case of widows there are children of the marriage. Provision is made for the payment of children’s or widows’ pensions to third parties for beneficiaries’ account if circumstances justify. Widows’ pensions may be cancelled or suspended if the court reports any conviction. A widow is disqualified from the pension if she- is co-habiting with a man. The Government Actuary estimates that the capital value of the liability assumed by the Exchequer under the scheme will bo: —For compulsorily insured, £566,000,000; voluntary contributors, £12,000.000; widowed mothers and children. £42,000,000; extended rights to old age pensions at seventy vears. £126,000,000. The scheme provides that insureds must continuously reside in Britain for at least two years immediately prior to death or date, of attaining the age of s’xty-five, and the last employment, excluding temporary employment, musthave been in Britain.