§ Mrs. Ann TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many women who were in receipt of widowed mothers allowance before September 1988 would have received a full widow's pension if the qualifying age had not been raised by five years;
255W(2) how many widows suffered a lowering of their income as a result of the qualifying age for the widow's pension being raised by five years in September 1988.
§ Mr. Peter LloydEntitlement to widowed mother's allowance and widow's pension changed on 11 April 1988. All women who were in receipt of widowed mother's allowance before then will be entitled to widow's pension on the age bands that existed before the reform changes were made. The increase, by five years, of the age bands will have no effect on these women. Women widowed after 11 April will be entitled to widow's pension based on the post reforms age bands; the numbers affected between 11 April and September 1988 cannot be determined accurately. However it is estimated that some 15,000 newly widowed women will have no title or a reduced title to benefit in the first year.