§ Miss Joan Lestorasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his reply of 8 April, Official Report, c. 435, what he considers a reasonable test of dependency for working wives whose husbands have retired; and how long the Government intend to retain the limit at the present £45.
§ Mr. RossiWe have not decided how long the £45 limit should be retained, but it is clear that there is still a considerable disparity between the general earnings test of dependency in the national insurance scheme, under which no addition is payable if the dependant's earnings exceed the amount of the addition—£15.45 for short-term benefits from November 1982—and the rule for retirement and invalidity pensioners under which a full dependency addition can be paid for a wife living with the pensioner if her earnings are less than £45.10 a week and a partial addition can be made even if her earnings are considerably higher than this.