§ Mrs. Chalkerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he plans to extend the maternity grant payment to the widowed husbands of women who die in childbirth or the week following.
§ Mr. OrmeThe death of a mother in or as a result of childbirth does not end entitlement to a maternity grant. Regulation 27 of the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1975 (S.I. 1975/ 560) allows the Secretary of State for Social Services to appoint a person to claim any benefit due at death. It also allows him to pay any such benefit to various persons including the next of kin of the deceased. I am satisfied therefore that there is adequate provision for the fortunately very few cases, probably numbered in single figures, which might occur each year.
We have no plans to change the provision whereby the weekly maternity allowance cannot be paid for any week after the death of a beneficiary. It is a general principle of the National Insurance Scheme that personal benefit comes to an end when the beneficiary dies and the contingency for which the benefit is paid ceases.