HC Deb 16 July 1985 vol 83 cc125-8W
Ms. Richardson

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many women claimed widows' allowance, broken down by age showing (a)the number who were aged less than 40 years, (b)the number who were aged 60 or more and (c) by single years the number who were aged between 40 and 59 years, or the nearest available information, and for the latest available year.

Mr. Whitney

The information requested is as follows:

Awards of widow's pension following widow's allowance in 12 months to 31 March 1983
Age of widow at husband's death Numbers of awards of succeeding benefit
Age-related widow's pension Widow's pension
Under 40 * *
40 100 *
41 180 *
42 180 *
43 320 *
44 380 *
45 320 *
46 480 *
47 590 *
48 810 *
49 1,030 *
50 * 1,460
51 * 1,720
52 * 2,220
53 * 2,280
54 * 2,900
55 * 3,260
56 * 3,470
57 * 3,660
58 * 4,070
59 * 1,880
60 and over * 170
* Not applicable.

Information about the number of widows in receipt of widow's allowance who have no entitlement to a succeeding widow's benefit is not available.

Ms. Richardson

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many women stopped claiming widowed mothers' allowance and began to claim (a) age-related widows' pension, (b) widows' pension and (c) no widows' benefit, showing them in each case broken down by age into (i) those aged 60 years or more, (ii) by single years those aged 40 to 59 years or the closest available breakdown and (iii) those aged less than 40 years for the latest available year.

Mr. Whitney

The information requested is as follows:

Awards of widow's pension following termination of widowed mother's allowance* in the 12 months to 30 September 1983
Age of widow Awards of succeeding benefit No succeeding benefit
Age-related widow's pension Widow's pension
Under 40 490
40 60 50
41 170 80
42 220 10

Age of widow Awards of succeeding benefit No succeeding benefit
Age-related widow's pension Widow's pension
43 350 30
44 390 20
45 440 20
46 470 40
47 650 30
48 710
49 840 10
50 920 20
51 1,030 40
52 1,030
53 1,280 10
54 1,170 10
55 1,210 10
56 1,200 20
57 1,210
58 870 10
59 1,020
60 and over 460 10
* Including widowed mother's allowance (personal).
Not applicable.
ߥ No succeeding benefit available.

1. Terminations of widowed mother's allowance with no succeeding benefit for widows over 40 occur as a result of disqualification eg because of "living together".

2. This 12 month series is an aggregate of statistics from two six-monthly periods ended 31 March 1983 and 30 September 1983 The age of the widow is the age at the sample date, thus some of the widows from the March enquiry would he a year older than shown by 31 September 1983.

Ms. Richardson

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was (a) the total number of widows receiving widows' pension at the full rate, (b) receiving age-related widows' pension at each of the age-related rates, showing separately those with reduced pensions for contribution reasons but counting them as if they received benefit at the full rate at the latest available date.

Mr. Whitney

At 30 September 1983 177,320 widows were receiving widow's pension at the standard rate and 13,910 receiving a reduced rate on account of contribution deficiencies. From the available information on age-related widow's pension it is not possible to classify those widows whose age-related pension is reduced on account of contribution deficiencies according to their age. For example, a widow receiving a pension of 65 per cent. of the standard rate could be either a woman widowed at 45 whose late husband had a full contribution record or a woman widowed at a later age whose late husband's record was deficient. The number of widows receiving an age-related widow's pension at 30 September 1983 is as follows:

Widows receiving age-related widow's pension at rate appropriate to age
Age at widowhood or cessation of WMA* Rate of pension (per cent.) Number of widows
40 30 3,800
41 37 3,200
42 44 4,160
43 51 6,090
44 58 7,830
45 65 9,800
46 72 11,270
47 79 14,070
48 86 17,040
49 93 21,300
Total 98,560

Widows receiving age-related pension reduced on account of contribution deficiencies
Rate of pension (per cent.) Number of widows
less than 30 3,680
31 to 36 1,060
38 to 43 1,430
45 to 50 1,110
52 to 57 1,240
59 to 64 1,420
66 to 77 1,150
73 to 78 1,070
80 to 85 1,220
87 to 92 590
Total 13,970
* Widowed Mother's Allowance

Ms. Richardson

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will estimate how many widows each year would (a) be denied age-related widows' pension altogether, (b) move across each of the age bands to the next lower rate, showing the movement across each age band separately and (c) get age-related widows' pension rather than full widows' pension; and what would be the total annual saving to public funds if the relevant date for determining entitlement to widows' pension or age-related widows' pension were brought forward from the date of expiry of entitlement to widows' allowance to the date of bereavement;

(2) if he will estimate how many new claimants each year would (a) be denied age-related widows' pension altogether, (b) get a lower age-related widows' pension, showing the movement from each age band separately and (c) get age-related widows' pension rather than full widow's pension, showing the movement into each age band separately; and what would be the annual saving to public funds if the age bands for entitlement to age-related widows' pensions were each raised by five years.

Mr. Newton

The relevant date for determining entitlement to widow's pension or age-related widow's pension is not the date of expiry of entitlement to widow's allowance but the date of bereavement, except in the case of a widow who has been receiving widowed mother's allowance for whom the relevant date is that on which her entitlement to widowed mother's allowance ceases. The table gives estimates of the number of new claimants each year who would be affected if the age bands for entitlement to age-related widow's pension were raised by five years.

The financial effects and numbers of widows affected by the raising of the age bands for age-related widow's pension by five years would build up over time, since pensions already in payment would not be affected. The financial effects of such a change would depend on what assumptions were made about benefit rates, and entitlements to income-tested benefits. However, we estimate that the combined effect on the national insurance fund of all the proposals for widows' benefits in the Green Paper "Reform of Social Security" (Cmnd. 9517), including the raising of the age bands for widow's pension by five years, would be to increase expenditure from the fund by about £28 million in the first full year. In the second year the effect would be broadly neutral, and savings would build up after then with an approximate saving of £50 million by the fifth full year. These figures assume current benefit rates and that the new lump sum payment would be £1,000.

New Claimants who would be affected by the raising of the age bands for age-related widows pension from 40–50 to 45–55
(a) Number with no entitlement to age-related pension
=1,500
(b) Number who would get an age-related pension at a lower rate than now
Age 45 = 200
46 = 500
47 = 600
48 = 1,000
49 = 1,200
Total = 3,500
(c) Number who would get age-related pension rather than full widows pension
Age 50 = 1,600
51 = 1,500
52 = 2,300
53 = 2,500
54 = 3,100
Total = 11,000
Note to table:
Total numbers above are accurate only to nearest 500 except for those below 500 which are to the nearest 100. They are derived from 1983 estimates of the number of widows receiving widows benefits.