§ 30. Mr. Awberyasked the Minister of National Insurance if she is aware of the inequality in the treatment of those who 1131 became widows before and after the passing of the National Insurance Act; and what steps she proposes to take to remove this.
§ Dr. SummerskillWidows pensioned under the old scheme whose circumstances on 5th July, 1948, enabled the new conditions to be applied to them were given the appropriate widow's benefit of the new scheme and such differences as still exist flow directly from the entirely different basis of the new provisions. They were fully considered by Parliament at the time.
§ Mr. AwberyIs my right hon. Friend aware that two women can become widows under identical circumstances; and one can receive 26s. a week and the other 10s. a week because there are one or two days between the deaths of their husbands?
§ Dr. SummerskillI am sure my hon. Friend will agree that when a new Act of Parliament is introduced which has an actuarial basis different from the previous Act, it is very difficult to assimilate the two, and it would be quite wrong to raid the present Fund in the interests of those under the other Act. It would throw it out of balance.
§ 31. Mr. Awberyasked the Minister of National Insurance how many widows are now in receipt of 10s. weekly pension; how many are receiving the full 26s.; and what would be the cost of increasing the amount to the latter figure so that there would be a uniform payment for all widows.
§ Dr. SummerskillThe immediate annual cost of increasing the rate of pension for all widows to 26s. a week would be about £10 million. There are about 204,000 widows under 60 entitled to benefits of 26s. or more, and 248,000 in receipt of 10s. pensions, of whom the great majority are working.
§ Mr. AwberyIs my right hon. Friend aware that there is a feeling of injustice suffered by the 248,000 who are receiving 10s. as against those who are receiving 26s.?