§ Baroness Jegerasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the difference between the pension of a woman widowed in World War I or World War II and a woman widowed by the death of a serviceman in Northern Ireland or the Falklands campaign.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces (Lord Trefgarne)All widows who lost their husbands in action in the World Wars receive a war widow's pension from the Department of Health and Social Security. World War widows whose husbands were below the rank of Warrant Officer Class I or equivalent receive no additional pension from the Ministry of Defence; and the widows of Warrant Officers Class I and equivalents and the widows of commissioned officers do so only where certain qualifications were met, including the completion by the husband of a minimum period of qualifying service. From 31st March 1973, the Armed Forces occupational pension scheme was improved and all widows whose husbands died in service from that date, and where the death is attributable to service, receive a pension from the Ministry of Defence in addition to a war widow's pension from the Department of Health and Social Security. The widows of privates who died in World War I, World War II and in May 1982 currently receive:
Death in World War I Death in World War II Death in May 1982 Widow aged over 80 Widow aged over 70 Widow aged under 40 with no children Widow aged under 40 with one child DHSS MOD DHSS MOD DHSS MOD DHSS MOD £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ 3,079 NIL 2,949 NIL 560 2,453 3,003 3,112