Widows of military personnel who remarried will be given a one-off compensatory payment of nearly £90,000 for years of loss of income.
The initiative will address old rules which saw eligible partners forfeit their pensions if they remarried or cohabited between 1973 and 2015.
The scheme will give £87,500 to war widows whose spouses’ deaths could be attributed to their military service.
In April 2015 changes were made to the pension scheme to allow those who qualified for it to receive it for life – but the changes were not applied retrospectively.
Some of the affected widows are pleased at the news but expressed disappointment as they have still lost out on large sums of money they were owed.
Widows of military personnel who remarried will be given a one-off compensatory payment of £87,500 for years of loss of income. File image
Dr Andrew Murrison, Minister for Defence People, Veterans and Service Families, said the UK’s war widows: ‘Have made a great sacrifice for our country and we will continue to support them in every way we can’
Speaking to The Telegraph, Judy Shepherd, 72, and Jenny Morris, 75, whose husbands were RAF pilots that died while flying together over four decades ago in a mid-air collision near Crewe, were happy to get some payment but said it was far less than the pension would have paid.
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Mrs Shepherd, of Northamptonshire, said she would receive around a quarter of the sum she is owed, she told the newspaper: ‘Because of our ages I felt we were all dropping off at the end and some just wouldn’t get any payment.’
Mrs Morris added: ‘As far as I’m concerned it’s a bonus because I never thought it would happen.’
Dr Andrew Murrison, Minister for Defence People, Veterans and Service Families, said the UK’s war widows: ‘Have made a great sacrifice for our country and we will continue to support them in every way we can.
‘This payment is a small but important step towards continuing to honour the commitment we have made to these brave people and we will continue to ensure they receive the recognition and support they deserve.
The MOD said applications will open later this year and remain open for two years, with support provided for applicants by the Veterans UK Call Centre.
Welfare support will also be available through the Veterans Welfare Service for those who need emotional support throughout the process.
Moira Kane, chairman of the War Widows Association, said that while the payment would be welcomed it was not what they had been campaigning for.
She told the Daily Telegraph: ‘We were campaigning for the reinstatement of a pension which we haven’t got. However, some of these ladies are getting quite elderly so I think the majority will be happy to receive a lump sum.’
John Glen, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said the ‘payment is a token’ of the Government’s ‘continued commitment’ to Armed Forces personnel.
‘The legacy of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for this country endures, and it’s only right that we honour that service by doing right by their loved ones,’ he added.
