未亡人s dithers on 特別手当s

By HELEN MONKS
Updated: 00:00 BST, 8 January 2002

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UNCEERTAINTY surrounds the 特別手当 率s for around one million Scottish 未亡人s with-利益（をあげる）s and endowment policyholders.

These policyholders rely on 特別手当s to 上げる their 投資s, but will have to wait until next month to find out if the 削減（する）s of up to 33% 適用する for the 残り／休憩（する） of the year.

On some with-利益（をあげる）s 基金s the 率 at which the 政策 value grows is 存在 削減（する） by 1.5% to 3.0%, compared with 4.5% - the 率 申し込む／申し出d in the second half of 2001. < /p>

These 率s have been in 軍隊 since 1 January and are 推定する／予想するd to be 確認するd on 1 February, though 未亡人s cannot 申し込む／申し出 any 保証（人）s there will not be その上の 削減（する）s.

The move is understood to be linked to the 財政上の Services 当局's 計画（する）s to clamp 負かす／撃墜する on what it sees as imprudent and over-generous 特別手当 宣言s against a 背景 of 落ちるing markets.

The last two years have seen the FTSE 100 索引 落ちる 25% and this 落ちる in 公正，普通株主権 markets has led to low 投資 returns. The regulator is 関心d that 保険 companies are ブイ，浮標ing-up their 特別手当 率s from their 財政上の reserves at levels that 脅すs the long-称する，呼ぶ／期間／用語 財政上の strength of these companies.