§ Mr. Quentin DaviesTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the current average SERPS enhancement to the widow's pension and to widowed mother's benefits is for those whose husbands have remained contracted into SERPS; and what the average widow's benefit is for contracted-out occupational pension schemes. [63951]
§ Angela EagleThe information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is as follows.
The average additional pension paid to a widow, resident in Great Britain, whose husband had never contracted out of SERPS is £10.75 per week.
Where the husband contracted out of SERPS at some point in his working life, the average additional pension paid is £21.70 per week.
The average additional pension for all widows resident in Great Britain is £16.09.
Source:
5 per cent. sample of the Pensions Strategy computer system at 31 March 1998.