§ Mr. BayleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many(a) divorced and (b) widowed pensioners are receiving a full state pension based on their spouse's national insurance contribution record; and of these how many are also in receipt of (i) income support or (ii) other state benefits. [32074]
§ Mr. Heald[pursuant to the reply, 3 July 1995, c. 82]: The information given was incorrect. The correct information is as follows:
The figures for widowed and divorced pensioners are not available separately. The total number in March 1993 was 1,783,000. It is not possible to identify how many of these people were receiving income support or other benefits.
Source:
Retirement Pension Statistics Biannual inquiry 31 March 93.
§ Mr. BayleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many women are in receipt of the married women's pension of £35.25; and what is the Government's estimate of how this figure will change over the next 10 years. [32075]
§ Mr. Heald[pursuant to the reply, 3 July 1995, c. 83]: The information given was incorrect. The correct information is as follows: the number of women in receipt of the married woman's pension of £35.25 at 31 March 1994 is 1,905,140.
An estimate of how this figure will change over the next 10 years is not available. However, over the next 10 years the total of category BL and ABL pensioners is likely to remain approximately stable. Within this group the numbers with category ABL will rise and the numbers with category BL will fall.
In the longer term, due to the effects of home responsibilities protection and the abolition of the married women's reduced rate option, more women will become entitled to a category A pension at over 60 per cent. The numbers with category A pensions will rise and the numbers with category BL and ABL pensions will fall.
450WNote:
Category BL pension is payable to a married woman on her husband's contributions at up to 60 per cent. of the standard Category A rate, provided she and her husband have both reached pension age.
Category ABL Pension is payable to a married woman and is a combination of Category A and Category BL. Where a married woman's own Category A entitlement is less than 60 per cent. of the standard rate, the pension is supplemented up to that level with Category BL pension based on her husband's contributions.