CONFIDENTIAL
5.
Evening Education to be Regarded as Full Time Education
20.
Under the existing provisions of the WCPS, a dependent child may receive a child's pension up to the age of 23 if he is in full time education.
21.
Staff suggest that children aged 18 and above who are receiving evening education, but not engaged in any paid employment in the day-time should be regarded as receiving full time education for the purpose of receiving a child's pension.
22. evening
We do not consider it appropriate to formally accept education as full time education because it is difficult to justify why a child over age 18 neither takes up paid employment nor attends school in the day-time. We do not support this proposal. However, genuine hardship cases could be dealt with flexibly in future because the Boards of Directors of the two dependant pension schemes will be given discretionary power
accept those children who are otherwise not covered as beneficiaries if the circumstances so warrant.
to
Continued Payment of Widow's Pension After the Widow's Re-marriage
23.
Staff argue that the payment of a widow's pension under the two dependant, pension schemes is because of the contributions of the deceased member. Payment of a widow's pension should therefore continue after the widow's re-marriage.
24.
This proposal is not supported because the payment of a widow's pension is
based on the principle of financial dependency. The widow can no longer be regarded as financially dependent on the deceased after her re-marriage. In addition, widows' re-marriage rates have been taken into account in computing the total rate of contribution required of the WCPS and WOPS.
Continued payment of a widow's pension after the widow's re-marriage would therefore increase the total rate of contribution required of the schemes and hence the cost to both Government and staff.
This is not considered justified. It would also be at variance with the practice in public services elsewhere.
CONFIDENTIAL
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