§ Baroness MACLEOD of BORVEasked Her Majesty's Government:
What are the criteria for withdrawing a widow's pension book, and how is the evidence on which the book is withdrawn obtained.
§ Lord CULLEN of ASHBOURNEA National Insurance widow's pension, once awarded, normally continues until the widow becomes entitled to a retirement pension. However, the Social Security Act 1975 provides that the widow's pension is not payable for any period after remarriage or during which the widow is living with a man as his wife. In the first case, the pension book is normally withdrawn on receipt of notification of remarriage. In the second case, the method of obtaining evidence and the sources of that evidence depend on the circumstances of the individual case, but, in any event, the widow herself is interviewed by an experienced interviewing officer and has the opportunity of giving any information she wishes. Benefit is disallowed only after very careful consideration of all the evidence666WA by the insurance officer, the first of the independent adjudicating authorities appointed to decide benefit entitlement. If the widow is dissatisfied with the insurance officer's decision, she can appeal to the local tribunal, and there is a further right of appeal against the tribunal's decision to the National Insurance Commissioner, the final appellate authority under the Acts.