Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will provide assistance to women who have depended on their husband's national insurance pensions contributions and will consequently suffer financial loss as a result of the increase in their retirement age; and if he will make a statement.

There is transitional protection in place for women whose ability to build their own State Pension could have been affected because they elected to pay married women’s and widow’s reduced-rate National Insurance contributions on the understanding that they would be able to claim on their husband’s contributions.

We will shortly be making the regulations that will enable individuals married to, or in a civil partnership with, a member of the Armed Forces to qualify for National Insurance credits for past periods during which they were accompanying their serving spouse or civil partner on assignments overseas.