Lord Chelwoodasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many war widows were married to men who left the Services (a) before 1st March 1973 and (b) since that date.
§ Lord SkelmersdaleThe information available relates to 31st March 1973. It is estimated that currently about 1,200 war widows were married to men who left the Services after that date. About 53,000 war widows receiving a war widow's pension under the War Pensions Scheme administered by the Department of Social Security, and about 1,000 receiving a pension under the War Pensions Scheme administered by the Ministry of Defence for service men who served between 1921 and 1939, were married to servicemen who left the Services before 31st March 1973. In addition, there are about 3,000 war widows who were married to men other than servicemen—for example, merchant seamen and civilians—whose death was due to war injury.