70. Miss Wardasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Defence what steps he proposes to take to ensure that no Service man's widow whose husband's death was due to service, receives a smaller total award from the State than she would have received if her husband's death had not been so due.
§ Mr. BirchThis anomaly arises where the widow, when in receipt of a "war widow's" pension, is debarred under the relevant rules both from a "Service" pension which she would otherwise have received in recognition of her husband's long service, and from a National Insurance widow's pension which she would otherwise have received in virtue of his insurance contributions.
With the recent increases in widows' "Service" pensions, which had effect from 1st December, 1952, cases can occur in which the widow's "Service" and National Insurance pensions together may exceed the "war widow's" pension.
The following additional widows' benefits are now being introduced.
(1) In future, the receipt of a "war widow's" pension will not be a complete bar to the receipt of a pension in respect of the husband's service; instead, where the widow is qualified for a "Service" pension, a pension on the scale below will be given in addition to the "war widow's" pension. This provision is introduced as an integral part of the Forces 25W Family Pensions Scheme (Cmd. 8741) and will apply where the husband's death occurred on or after 1st September, 1950.
Widows p.a. £ Field Marshal (or equivalent) 135 Officers on permanent commissions. General (or equivalent) 125 Lieut.-General (or equivalent) 115 Major-General (or equivalent) 105 Brigadier (or equivalent) 95 Colonel (or equivalent) 85 Lieut.-Colonel (or equivalent) 75 Major (or equivalent) 65 Captain/Lieutenant/Senior Commissioned Officer (Navy) (or equivalent) 55 Commissioned Officer (Navy) 45 Pilot Officer (Branch List) (R.A.F.) Warrant Officer, Class I (or equivalent) 40
Weekly Warrant Officer, Class II (or equivalent)— 37 years' service 12s. 32 years' service 11s. 27 years' service 10s. 22 years' service 9s. Staff Sergeant (or equivalent)— 37 years' service 11s. 32 years' service 10s. 27 years' service 9s. 22 years' service 8s. Sergeant (or equivalent)— 37 years' service 10s. 32 years' service 9s. 27 years' service 8s. Corporal or Private (or equivalent)— 37 years' service 9s. 32 years' service 8s.
Each Child Officers … £15 p.a. Warrant Officer, Class I … Warrant Officer, Class II, and below … 3s. weekly Arrears will be paid back to 1st December, 1952, or to the date from which the "Service" pension would have been payable, if later.
Although these pensions will be awarded in recognition of the husband's service, they will have the incidental effect of removing the anomaly referred to.
(2) A few "war widows" whose husbands died before 1st September, 1950, may be in the anomalous position referred to. In these cases the Service Department concerned will make an award equal to the amount by which the widow is, from time to time, out of pocket through having a "war widow's" pension instead of "Service" and National Insurance pensions. Arrears will be paid back to 1st December, 1952, the date on which the anomaly arose.
All these awards will he made automatically by the Service Departments without application by the widows.