HC Deb 10 December 1958 vol 597 cc76-7W
Dame Irene Ward

116, 117 and 118. asked the Minister of Defence (1) if he is aware of the anomalies which will arise in regard to pensions for widows if the assessment is made on basic retired pay; and if he will give an assurance that these will be ironed out;

(2) if he will give an assurance that under the new code of pensions for widows no widow will receive less than the existing rates;

(3) under the proposed new code for widows' pensions, what will be the basis for calculation in relation to the amount paid to a husband at the time of his death; what the widow of an officer under 60 years of age will receive in comparison with that of an officer over that age; and what fraction of the husbands' basic retired pay, excluding any increases subsequently granted, the widow's pension will be.

Mr. Sandys

I can assure my hon. Friend that under the revised Family Pensions' scheme no widow will receive less than the existing rates. The other points will be covered in the announcement on the general scope of the scheme which I hope to make early in the New Year.

Dame Irene Ward

asked the Minister of Defence what improvement over the existing arrangement is to be introduced in the new pensions code for the widows of officers who die while serving.

Mr. Sandys

As from 1st April, 1959, the widow of an officer who dies while serving will receive one-third of the retired pay which he would have drawn had he been invalided, except in certain cases where the existing scheme is more favourable.

Dame Irene Ward

asked the Minister of Defence, under the new pensions code for widows, if the husband commuted part of his retired pay, what proportion of the uncommuted remainder of her husband's retired pay his widow will now receive.

Mr. Sandys

Commutation of part of the husband's pension will have no effect on the widow's pension, which will be related to the husband's pension rate before commutation.

Dame Irene Ward

asked the Minister of Defence how the higher rates in the new pensions code for widows will apply to the widows of officers who die after the 1st April, 1959, and how they will apply to the widows of officers who retire after that date, respectively.

Mr. Sandys

This point will be covered in the announcement on the general scope of the new family pension scheme which I hope to make early in the New Year.