War Pensioners And Local Authorities

EDM number 184 in 1997-98, proposed by Simon Hughes on 30/06/1997.

That this House notes that local authorities are currently given the option of whether or not to disregard war widows' and war disablement pension when assessing eligibility for council tax and housing benefit; notes that three-quarters of councils now operate a total disregard; further notes that a pensioner in one of the authorities not operating disregard can lose as much as all of his or her war pension for purely geographical reasons; is appalled that an increase in disability due to old war injuries has led to certain war disabled pensioners facing an overall drop in income; is further concerned that as a result of current policy the Royal British Legion, which has long campaigned for a change in the law, has had to advise some of its members not to apply for or accept a war pension; believes that such war pensions are compensation for injuries sustained or husbands lost in service, and should not be counted as normal taxable income either for local or national taxation purposes; notes that the extra public expenditure needed to standardise treatment of war pensioners would be minimal given that only a few pensioners are actually discriminated against in this way; and calls upon Her Majesty's Government to review this situation so that these war veterans and their widows may finally receive a fair deal.

This motion has been signed by a total of 127 MPs, 2 of these signatures have been withdrawn.