HC Deb 11 November 1980 vol 992 cc107-8W
26. Mr. Sainsbury

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the cost of paying widows, who have remarried and subsequently divorced or been widowed, a pension on the basis of their first husband's national insurance contributions where the second or subsequent husband did not have sufficient contributions to cover any pension claim that might be made.

Mr. Prentice

I regret that this information is not available. It is, in any event, a general principle of the national insurance scheme that a widow who remarries before pension age should look to her newly-acquired husband for benefit rights based on a husband's contributions. A widow in receipt of a retirement pension on her former husband's contributions who remarries after pension age may continue to receive that pension or a pension on her newly-acquired husband's contributions, whichever is the more favourable to her.