§ Mr. RooneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if Guaranteed Minimum Pensions are payable to women beneficiaries at age 60 years. [154490]
§ Mr. RookerYes, Guaranteed Minimum Pensions (GMPs) are payable to women, in their own right, at age 60, but they may be payable earlier to a widow who qualifies for half of her late husband's GMP. In some cases GMPs may be paid later because occupational pension schemes can have a rule which enables payment of the GMP to be postponed, beyond age 60, while an individual remains in employment.