§ Mrs. Chalkerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many divorced widows are receiving supplementary benefit in place of a pension in each of the financial years since the reform of the divorce laws; and how many women divorced shortly before the death of their husbands claimed a widow's pension in each of the three financial years preceding this change in the law.
§ Mr. O'MalleyI regret that no information is available about the supplemen-478W tary benefit entitlement of divorced women whose ex-husbands have died. A woman in this situation does not become entitled to a widow's pension but, when she reaches the age of 60, she can, if she had not remarried, make use of her ex-husband's contribution record in satisfying the conditions for retirement pension, and may do so whether he is then living or dead.