HC Deb 16 July 1979 vol 970 cc352-3W
Mr. Gummer

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what would be the annual cost of allowing an officer's widow to take up again, on the decease of her second husband, a premium forfeited by a second marriage, where the second marriage is to a serving officer whose rank is inferior to that of her first husband.

Mr. Speed

An officer's widow's pension may be restored on second widowhood, in whole or in part, if she is left inadequately provided for. In cases where the second husband was also an officer in one of the Services the widow may on second widowhood be awarded either the amount to which her original pension would be restored or the widow's pension deriving from her second husband, whichever is the greater. It would not be possible without a disproportionate expenditure of time and effort to estimate the cost of the restoration of the first pension in full irrespective of the provision made for her by her second husband.

Mr. Gummer

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what would be the annual cost of allowing an officer's widow to take up again, on the decease of her second husband, a pension forfeited by a second marriage, where the second marriage is to a former serving officer whose pension rights did not include widow's benefit.

Mr. Speed

An officer's widow's pension may be restored on second widowhood, in whole or in part, if she is left inadequately provided for. It would not be possible without the expenditure of a disproportionate amount of time and effort to estimate the cost of the restoration of the widow's pension in full in those cases where the widow had been left adequately provided for by her second husband.

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