Ms Sinéad Lucey:

Yes, on the basis that a cohort who were previously entitled to these payments - partners who are previously divorced or separated civil partners - could apply for the pension on the death of their ex-spouse or ex-civil partner. As far as we understand it, that will now be taken away under the general scheme. That entitlement for those claimants would now be reversed. The concern arises from the fact that even in a situation of divorce or separation, there may still be a dependency between those ex-spouses or ex-civil partners. There may also be children involved. There may still be a loss to that family, but now they will not have resort to the pension that they would have had previously.