HC Deb 03 March 1999 vol 326 cc801-2W
Mr. Cox

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many women qualify for widows' benefit payments. [73753]

Angela Eagle

The number of women receiving Widows' Benefits payments at 15 January 1999 was 266,100.

The number of claims to lump sum Widows' Payment in the year ending March 1998 was 45,000.

Notes:

1. Estimates for Widows' Payment relates to claims made; a small number of claims may not be awarded a payment. Estimates for the ongoing weekly benefits relate to actual awards.

2. A proportion of those who received Widows' Payment will also have qualified for ongoing benefit.

3. Ongoing weekly benefit information provided by a 5 per cent. sample taken from the Pensions Strategy Computer System.

4. Figures for ongoing weekly benefits include GB and overseas cases, and include women aged over 60.

5. Widows' Payment information provided by Benefit Agency's Central data Unit.

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