§ Mr. WillettsTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security for each year since 1988, how many married men have transferred their company preserved pension into an appropriate personal pension; and what effect this has on a married man's widow's SERPS entitlement should he die before retirement age. [148495]
§ Mr. RookerThe information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is as follows.
A married man who contracts out of SERPS into an appropriate personal pension gives up all or part of his additional pension from the state scheme. He must provide for a widow's benefit when he buys an annuity on retirement.
§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of proposals to change the arrangement for pension entitlements to a dependent spouse after the death of the policyholder. [147491]
§ Mr. Rooker[holding answer 26 January 2001]: On the state pensions side, where the person with the SERPS entitlement dies, there will be no change to the current arrangements for the following people:
550WThose who are already widowed now and are receiving a SERPS pension.Those who are not widows or widowers now, but whose husbands or wives die between now and 5 October 2002.We are also consulting on regulations which would mean there would also be no change for people who are widowed on or after 6 October 2002 but whose late husband or wife reached state pension age on or before 5 October 2002.
We have no plans to alter the inheritance arrangements with regard to the basic state pension or to contracted-out occupational pension schemes or appropriate personal pensions.