Captain BENNasked the Minister of Pensions whether his attention has been called to the case of Mrs. Higgins, widow of the late Driver T. W. Higgins, of the Royal Army Service Corps; whether he is aware that she was married before her husband's discharge from the Army; that the disability from which he died was due to service; whether his being alleged to have suffered from that disability before the marriage disqualifies the widow from obtaining a pension; if so, under what Regulations; and, if so, whether he will, in view of the obvious hardships caused by the Regulation in this and similar cases, take the necessary steps towards getting it modified?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONMarriage having taken place after the soldier's removal from duty for the disability which caused his death, the widow is excluded from the benefits of the Royal Warrant under the definition of "widow" in Article 24 (2). This restriction has been generally accepted as reasonable, and I am not prepared to recommend any amendment of the Warrant in the sense suggested.