HL Deb 01 November 1999 vol 606 cc59-60WA
Lord Rix

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What they estimate to be the cost of compensating spouses whose additional pension was prospectively reduced by the enactment of Section 19 of the Social Security Act 1986 by increasing the additional pension payable to them if their spouse dies after 5 April 2000 by a sum equal to 6.25 per cent of the additional pension to which they would have been entitled by virtue of the contributions of their deceased spouse but for the enactment of Section 19, multiplied by the number of years or part years before 25 July 1986 during which the spouse made contributions. [HL4269]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Social Security (Baroness Hollis of Heigham)

The information is not available in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The Government Actuary's Department is able to estimate global SERPS costings on the basis of earnings data, but does not have figures on individuals' National Insurance contributions, which would be necessary in order to produce the requested information.