asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is aware that, owing to the different systems of assessing means for the non-contributory widows' pension and the non-contributory old age pension, cases arise where a widow, on reaching the age of seventy years, has her pension considerably reduced; and if he will take steps to ensure that, owing to the hardship which these cases involve, non-contributory widows do not have their pensions reduced in this way.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Widows' Pensions.
31.
Apart from the method of calculating the yearly value of capital, the same basic rules govern the assessment of means for non-contributory widows' pension as for non-contributory old age pensions.
As I stated in reply to a similar question in June last, widows do not normally suffer a reduction in pension on reaching the age of seventy. The investigations of means in connection with the application for the old age pension may show, however, in some cases that there has been an increase in means since the widow's pension was awarded, and in these cases a reduction in pension is inevitable. In addition, because of certain differences in the method of assessment of the yearly value of capital for widows' pension and old age pension purposes, some widows, on reaching the age of 70, may be assessed with a higher income on their capital and so be entitled to an old age pension at a lower rate than the widows' pension which they previously held.
In this connection I would point out that having regard to the annuity value of a person's capital at age 70 the method of determining the yearly value of capital for non-contributory old age pension purposes is not ungenerous. As the law stands a widow with no other means could have £475 capital and still qualify for the maximum old age pension of 47s. 6d, or £1,780 and still qualify for the minimum pension of 7s. 6d. With the latter sum, a widow aged 70 could purchase an annuity of about £200.