§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many widows in 1982 were (a) widowed, (b) entitled to widow's allowance, (c) immediately eligible for supplementary benefit, (d) became eligible for supplementary benefit after 26 weeks when the widow's allowance ceased and (e) wives of men who were dependent on social security payments at the time of their death.
§ Dr. BoysonAbout 180,000 women were widowed in 1982. The number of widows who became entitled to widow's allowance in 1982 is not yet known but is expected to be of the order of 60,000. The difference between the two figures is mainly due to the age of the husband and/or the widow and in most of the cases another benefit such as retirement pension would be payable.
The other information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, in circumstances in which a husband dependent on social security dies and his wife becomes entitled to widow's allowance, what is the average number of days between the last payment of benefit to the husband and the first payment of benefit to the widow; and in approximately how many cases annually there are such days for which neither the husband nor the widow receive any social security benefit.
§ Dr. BoysonThis information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.