HC Deb 20 December 1974 vol 883 cc729-30W
Mrs. Chalker

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the net cost of increasing widow's pension and widowed mother's allowance by £3.40 over and above the increase due in April 1975 ; and what would be the effect of this measure on the number of widows claiming supplementary benefit.

Mr. Alec Jones

The cost, after allowing for savings on supplementary benefit, would be about £80 million a year. About 50,000 widows would cease to receive supplementary benefit.