War Pensions: Housing Benefits

EDM number 59 in 1996-97, proposed by Bill Michie on 24/10/1996.

That this House is mindful of the debt which is owed to all who served the United Kingdom in past wars and recognises the value of war and war disability pensions; notes that the first ú10 of such pensions is disregarded in calculations of housing and council tax benefit, but that the rest of any pension is counted as income and therefore reduces benefit available unless individual local authorities choose to allow a further disregard for which no Government subsidy is payable; and therefore expresses its belief that, as war pensions are a national payment for services rendered to the nation, the Government should amend the appropriate regulations so that the income from those pensions is disregarded for benefit purposes in total and that as a result the ensuing costs should fall on the national Exchequer.

This motion has been signed by a total of 68 MPs.