§ Mr. BarnesTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will introduce measures to allow women to qualify for widows benefit when they have not been married to their late partners but could qualify as having been married by cohabitation. [50210]
§ Mr. DenhamModernising the Social Security system is a key priority of the Government. In our examination of the current Social Security structure we will take account of the needs of the bereaved in pursuit of our aim of reducing poverty and welfare dependency, promoting work incentives and providing better, simpler more efficient services to clients.