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06-May-08 11:30 [Pensions]
Women could get state pension boost Up to 73,000 women could be entitled to an average of £1,400 in backdated pensions, a government minister has claimed.
Mike OBrien, the pensions minister, told Money Box on BBC Radio 4 that women who reached the age of 60 between April 6th 1998 and 24 October 2004 and are married to a man who is less than five years older than them, are the ones who could benefit.
He told the BBC that time taken by women to take care of children or other adults had not been taken into consideration.
"We've identified around 73,000 married women who could potentially claim some backdated pension to cover the period between turning 60 and her husband reaching 65. We don't know how many could be entitled to this backdated sum but they could get up to £1,400 each," Mr OBrien told the show.
According to HSBC, the number of women contributing to a pension scheme has increased by almost 50 per cent over the last three years.
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