§ Mr. Lambieasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many women are in receipt of a widow's pension; and what percentage are working and paying the full national insurance contribution.
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§ Mr. O'MalleyThere are about 565,000 women receiving national insurance widow's benefits, which include widow's pension. Figures showing how many of these are working and paying full national insurance contributions are not available but there are only about 95,000 widows who are paying full contributions as employed or self-employed persons and this number includes those who are required to pay full contributions because they are not receiving widow's benefit.
§ Mr. Lambieasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what benefits, including retirement pension, the widow who is paying the full national insurance contributions receives compared to those widows paying the minimum national insurance contributions.
§ Mr. O'MalleyWidows paying full Class 1 contributions can qualify for the full range of national insurance benefits, including retirement pension. Widows paying Class 2 contributions can qualify for all national insurance benefits except unemployment benefit. However, widows who qualify for another national insurance benefit while they are drawing widow's benefit cannot receive more than the amount of the higher benefit and generally, therefore, only those widows who are getting widow's benefit at a reduced rate can gain any substantial advantage from paying full contributions. Widows who do not pay full Class 1 or Class 2 contributions are not generally entitled to benefits in addition to their widow's benefit, but on reaching retirement age may qualify for a retirement pension in place of, and at a rate not less than that of, their widow's pension.
§ Mr. Lambieasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if she will take steps to inform widows who are in employment that those who have been paying, and still are paying, the full national insurance contributions in order to obtain a retirement pension are paying it needlessly;
(2) what advice she is prepared to give widows who have been paying the full national insurance contributions on wrong advice as to their rights of repayment; and if she will make a statement.
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§ Mr. O'MalleyMany widows in employment are not entitled to widow's benefit and have no option but to pay full contributions. By the issue of special leaflets to all those awarded widow's benefit and, where appropriate, by personal interviews, my Department already takes all possible steps to ensure that those widows with a choice understand the implications fully. In general, therefore, widows should not be paying full contributions unless they themselves are satisfied that it is in their best interests to do so. If, nevertheless, a widow has grounds for claiming that her choice to pay full contributions resulted from wrong advice by my Department, she should give a full account of the circumstances to her local social security office.