WIDOWS' SERPS ENTITLEMENTS

Early day motion 526, tabled 14 March 2000 by Steve Webb (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 81 members.

That this House notes that the 1986 Social Security Act introduced a halving of widows' SERPS entitlements in respect of deaths occurring after April 2000; notes that DSS leaflets and correspondence failed to reflect that change for at least a decade after the Act reached the statute book, leading to an investigation by the Parliamentary Ombudsman; notes that many more pensioners who were not actively misled by these leaflets nonetheless knew nothing about the change until they were too old to make realistic alternative provision; and therefore calls on the Government not only to compensate those future pensioners who were misled but also to exempt from the proposed cut any person who has already reached state pension age.

Signatures by party: Labour 42, Liberal Democrat 28, Conservative 3, UUP 3, Labour/Co-operative 2, Plaid Cymru 2, Scottish National Party 1.