Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the proposed Remedial Order to extend the legislation governing widowed parent's allowance and bereavement support payments will be applied retrospectively to non married partners and their children.

We intend to take forward a Remedial Order to extend eligibility for BSP to cohabitees with children. The detail of the changes will be set out in the Remedial Order. We intend to lay the Order before the House in due course.