§ Mr. Jon Owen JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security for what reasons it was decided not to allow females who retired prior to 1988 to confer pension rights on their spouses in the event of their death; and if he will now introduce provisions to provide pension rights for widows whose spouses retired pre-1988.
§ Miss WiddecombeThere is no statutory prohibition on occupational pension schemes providing in their rules for survivor's benefits to widows or widowers irrespective of their date of death or age at date of death. On 6 April 1988 it became a condition for a scheme to be used for contracting out of the state earnings-related pension scheme that it provided guaranteed minimum pensions to widowers in circumstances analogous to those required for widow's pensions.