HC Deb 09 July 1982 vol 27 cc216-7W
Mr. Ray Powell

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what compensation is payable to widows who lost their husbands during the Falklands war; and what weekly pension they are paid.

Mr. Wiggin

The widow receives her husband's salary for a period of 91 days from the date of his death, or for 182 days if she has one or more dependent children. A death grant and an additional gratuity are paid. The Service widow's pension is 90 per cent. of the pension that the Service man would have received had he served to the end of a full career, with an adjustment to take account of the more favourable Department of Health and Social Security widow's pension that is paid when the husband's death is attributable to his service. Both the Ministry of Defence and the Department of Health and Social Security pay additional pensions to children. The Department of Health and Social Security pensions are paid tax-free. All pensions are index linked from the date of award. The detailed payments are set out in the following table. Annual rates have been used since this is the rate at which Service pensions are awarded.

Service Widow's Death Grants and Pensions (when death is attributable to service)
Lump sums payable to widow on death Forces family pension*‡ DHSS war pension†‡
Husband's Rank Death Grant† Additional Attributable Gratuity† Widow Children (per child-max of 4) Widow under 40 and with no children Widow over 40 or with children Children (per child-no max)
Min* Max*
£ £ £ £pa £pa £pa £pa £pa
Below Cpl 5,948 8,922 1,487 2,215 595 463 2,005 565.72
Cpl 7,496 11,244 1,874 2,912 750 463 2,005 565.72
Sgt 8,260 12,390 2,065 3,256 826 463 2,005 565.72
S/Sgt 9,378 14,067 2,345 3,759 938 463 2,005 565.72
WOII 9,654 14,481 2,414 3,883 965 463 2,005 565.72
WOI 10,618 15,927 2,655 4,317 1,062 463 2,005 565.72
Capt and below 11,678 17,517 2,920 4,794 1,168 463 2,005 565.72
Major 14,064 21,096 3,516 5,867 1,406 463 2,005 565.72
Lt Col 17,518 26,277 4,380 7,422 1,752 463 2,005 565.72
Col 20,368 30,552 5,092 8,704 2,037 463 2,005 565.72
Brig 22,068 33,102 5,517 9,469 2,207 463 2,005 565.72
* The grant rises above the minimum when the length of service exceeds around 18 years, and increases according to length of service thereafter.
† Tax free
‡ Index linked