War Widows

House of Lords written question – answered at on 17 November 2003.

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Photo of Lord Morris of Manchester Lord Morris of Manchester Labour

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Answer by the Lord Bach on 27 October (Official Report, cols. 1–4), what proportion of war widows whose husbands died before the advent of the Armed Forces Pension Scheme are in receipt of their own state retirement pension; and, for those widows not in receipt of their own state retirement pension, what is the maximum pension they can receive.

Photo of Lord Bach Lord Bach Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Procurement)

The information requested on the proportion of war widows whose husbands died before the advent of the Armed Forces Pensions Scheme who are in receipt of their own state retirement pension is not available. It could be obtained only at disproportionate cost, involving the clerical examination of over 40,000 individual war widows' files to identify where the husband died before 31 March 1973 and then by seeking information on payment of retirement pension in each case.

With regard to the amount of pension payable, a war widow who is aged 70 or over and whose late husband left service before the advent of the Armed Forces Pension Scheme on 31 March 1973 receives a tax-free war widow's pension of £175.37 a week. At age 80, this increases to £185.37 a week. If she is entitled to a state retirement pension based on her own national insurance contributions, this is payable on top of the war widow's pension. A pension and lump sum was also payable under Armed Forces occupational scheme arrangements provided that certain qualifying criteria were met. A minimum period of service by the spouse of 12 years (other rank) or 10 years (officer) was required for eligibility for a widow's pension though a gratuity was payable below this. The value of the payment depended on a number of factors, notably rank.

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