§ Dr. WrightTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has of the number of women who fail to claim or receive a retirement pension to which they are entitled at the age of 60 years; what estimate he has of the total amount of money unclaimed by such women; and what plans he has to enable women to make backdated claims for the entire period for which they have a pension entitlement.
§ Mr. HagueThe information is not available in the form requested.
167WThe only available information relates to the number of women who, on claiming retirement pension, receive increments because they deferred, either intentionally or unintentionally, claiming a pension based on their own contributions, to which they would have been entitled at age 60.
It is estimated that at March 1993 approximately 29,000 women aged 60 to 63 were receiving increments to a pension based on their own contributions. Estimates for women aged 64 or over receiving pension increments are not relevant because the increments may relate to periods prior to October 1989 when pension entitlement was precluded by the earnings rule rather than by a failure to claim.
We have no plans to change the existing provisions governing the time limit for claiming retirement pension and the maximum period for which arrears can be paid.