HC Deb 23 February 1939 vol 344 cc588-9W
Mr. Mainwaring

asked the Minister of Health how many widows have ceased to qualify for pension benefit, for the reason that there are no dependent children, during each year, from 1930 to 1938 inclusive?

Mr. Elliot

The number of widows whose pensions ceased in each of the years 1931 to 1937 on the youngest child attaining 16, or on the 31st July thereafter if the child remained under fulltime instruction in a day-school, was as follows:

1931–9,078. 1935–6,850.
1932–9,148. 1936–6,648.
1933–7,258. 1937–5,242.
1934–7,551.

An annual record of these cases was made for the first time in 1931. Final figures for 1938 are not yet available.

I would point out that a widow in this class, provided she has not remarried, is normally entitled to the renewal of her pension when she attains the age of 55 and a substantial number of the widows included above have already had their pensions renewed.