§ Lord Lester of Herne Hillasked Her Majesty's Government:
Why the Green Paper Working and Saving for Retirement (CM 5677, December 2002) contains no proposals to entitle unmarried long-term cohabiting partners (whether of the same sex or opposite sex) to state pensions benefits.[HL819]
27WA
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Baroness Hollis of Heigham)Married couples may be entitled to state pension benefits based on their spouse's contributions. The Government have no proposals to entitle unmarried long-term cohabiting partners to state pensions benefits based on their partner's contributions.
The Government are currently looking into the policy and cost implications of a civil partnership registration scheme for same-sex couples, with an attached package of rights and responsibilities.