Vol. 463 No. 7
46 Mr. Flood asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he intends to cancel the condition for receipt of a widow's contributory pension whereby the widow must not be living with another man as husband and wife; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4941/96]
To qualify for a widow's contributory pension a woman must be a widow, satisfy the PRSI conditions and not be living with a man as his wife. Where a widow remarries or cohabits title to the pension is automatically extinguished. She may of course qualify for another social welfare payment subject to the normal qualifying criteria.
From October 1994 a widower may also qualify for a survivor's (contributory) pension subject to the same qualifying criteria as that pertaining to widow's contributory pension.
In the final report of the National Pensions Board ‘Developing the National Pension System' the majority of the board recommended the retention of the remarriage or cohabitation rule.
The qualifying criteria regarding cohabitation and remarriage has been a feature of the scheme since it was introduced and I have no plans to change the rules in this regard.
