NATIONAL INSURANCE (MARRIED WOMEN) AMENDMENT REGULATIONS, 1961 (Hansard, 14 December 1961)

§ LORD DENHAM

My Lords, these Regulations are primarily intended to deal with minor difficulties which have come to notice since the passage of legislation in 1957 as regards retirement pensions for widows. Since 1957 widows receiving national insurance widows benefit qualify for retirement pension on their own insurance. To help them do this, they may take over their husband's contribution record up to the date of his death, and thereafter are credited with a contribution for each week in which they are entitled to benefit. The difficulties I have mentioned relate to these credits, in that circumstances have come to notice in which the credits cannot technically be awarded although the widow could reasonably be expected to receive them. These regulations make it possible to award such credits, to fill the gaps in the widow's contribution record, which might otherwise result in a retirement pension being payable at a lower rate than widow's pension.

The widows mainly concerned are some who have been abroad, some who cannot receive widow's benefit because they are receiving some other payment, some whose claims for widow's benefit were late, and some who had become entitled to widow's benefit only as a result of 1956 legislation. I beg to move that these Regulations be approved.