§ 2.48 p.m.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, as old age pensioners each receive £5 per week but if they marry their joint pension is £8.50, they will extend to married old age pensioners a benefit similar to the separate income tax assessments for married couples proposed for 1972 and allow their pensions to be granted to each pensioner separately.]
§ THE MINISTER OF STATE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL SECURITY (LORD ABERDARE)My Lords, a married woman already receives her retirement pension as a personal and separate benefit. The rate, however depends on whether she derives 915 title from her own or her husband's contributions. If she has paid full contributions she gets the full standard flat-rate pension—£5 at present, to go up to £6 next September; if she relies on her husband's contributions she gets £3.10, to go up to £3.70. A woman with the full standard rate pension retains that rate on marriage or remarriage. Thus, the normal retirement pension income of a household is £10, to go up to £12, when both husband and wife have pensions in their own right, or £8.10 to go up to £9.70, where both pensions derive from the husband's insurance. In a contributory scheme some distinction must be made between those who contribute and those who do not.
LORD JANNERMy Lords, apart entirely from the figures that the noble Lord has given, is it not a fact that in many cases parties who are married receive less than if they choose to live together, the wages of sin therefore being something like 30s. a week? Is it not important for the Government to consider that in all cases there should not be a lesser payment made to two people who are married than to two people who in those circumstances remain single?
§ LORD ABERDARENo, my Lords; I do not think the noble Lord is correct in saying that. The person who is not married will get the retirement pension he or she has earned by virtue of contributions. If the woman has not contributed and is not married she would not get a pension.
LORD JANNERMy Lords, would the noble Lord do me the favour of looking again at the figures, so that in future I may raise the question again? My information is that there are very many cases in which two individuals receive more if they are single than if they are married.
§ LORD ABERDAREMy Lords, I will certainly look into that matter, but I should have thought that unless they had contributed they would not receive anything.