§ Mr. FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if widowers who become eligible for widowed parent's allowance or bereavement allowance will have payments based upon their own, or their spouse's national insurance contribution record; and if he will estimate the annual costs of making benefit payments based on the best of either their own or their spouse's record. [71415]
§ Angela EagleIn line with the contribution conditions currently applied to Widows' Benefits, entitlement to bereavement benefits for widowers will be calculated on the National Insurance contribution record of the spouse.
Information on annual costs of calculating entitlement based on the best of either the widowers own or their spouses contribution record is not available. However, if entitlement to bereavement benefits were based on widowers own contribution record, the estimated extra benefit cost would be of the order of £40 million a year in the first three years of the scheme (there would also be additional administrative costs).
Notes:
1. Estimates are presented net of income-related benefit offsets, in line with those in the consultation document "A new contract for Welfare: Support in Bereavement".
2. Income-related benefit offsets were estimated using the 1995–96 Family Resources Survey and the Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiries.
3. The underlying contributory benefit effects have been provided by the Government Actuaries Department.
4. Estimates are rounded to the nearest £10 million and provide broad orders of magnitude.