To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reason women over 60 years old are not eligible to receive adult dependency increase in respect of a husband or civil partner under 65 years old. (277106)

[holding answer 1 June 2009]: Differences have existed in relation to dependency increases of benefit since the inception of the Social Security scheme in 1948, mainly because women were not regarded in general as having to support their husbands who would tend to have their own personal access to national insurance benefits.

The Pensions Act 2007 abolished these outdated dependency rules for state pensions and from April 2010 no further increases will be awarded with the state pension. By April 2020 any remaining adult dependency payments paid with a state pension will cease completely.