Lord Chelwoodasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many widows of servicemen have lost their pensions on remarriage in each year since the introduction of the forces family pension in 1958; how many annually have lost their war widow's pension over the same period; whether the restoration of these pensions if the widow is bereaved for a second time is dependent on the availability of the above information; and what would have been the annual cost to the Government each year if these pensions had continued in payment.
§ The Minister of State for Defence Procurement (Lord Trefgarne)Forces Family Pensions. The information necessary to respond fully to the question as it relates to forces family pensions is not available. However, figures are available for the number of pensions of Service widows where 568WA payment ceased on re-marriage in financial years 1986–87 and 1987–88. These numbered 176 and 159 respectively. The continuing annual cost, had these pensions continued in payment, would have been approximately £328,000 for those terminated in 1986–87, and £283,000 for those terminated in 1987–88, at the rate then in force.
The current annual costs, had all pensions terminated on re-marriage since 1958 continued in payment, would be the cumulative total of the annual rates of those pensions, at the time of termination, increased by index-linking.
Restoration of pensions in the event of second bereavement is determined through assessment of the circumstances of each case individually.
War Widows Pensions. In the case of widows receiving war widow's pensions under the war pensions scheme administered by the Department of Social Security, information is not available for 1914£18 war widows, but for other war widows the information available is as follows:
Number of widows who lost their war widow's pension on re-marriage(1) Cumulative yearly cost of continuing payment of war widow's pension at the standard rate at the end of each year(2) £ million 1958 1,300 0.2 1959 1,100 0.4 1960 1,030 0.6 1961 900 0.9 1962 770 1.0 1963 750 1.4 1964 700 1.5 1965 620 2.0 1966 595 2.1 1967 540 2.5 1968 510 2.7 1969 420 3.1 1970 450 3.3 1971 380 4.1 1972 424 4.8 1973 431 5.7 1974 337 7.6 1975 328 10.4 1976 298 12.2 1977 250 14.3 1978 229 16.3 1979 196 19.7 1980 177 23.4 1981 138 25.7 1982 145 28.9 1983 124 30.2 1984 147 32.2 1985 121 34.7 1986 106 35.4 1987 82 36.3 1988 105 38.1 Notes
(1) The number includes all war widows who remarried, not just the widows of Servicemen and ex-Servicemen, for example, including widows of merchant seamen and civilians whose death was attributable to war injury.
(2) The costs assume payment of pension at the standard rate for the widow of a private or equivalent rank. The standard rate for widows of other ranks is higher. The costs do not provide for age allowances paid from the age of 65.
The standard rate is payable to widows of officers above the rank of Major or equivalent rank, to widows with children and to childless widows of men of the rank of Major or below from age 40.
569WAThe costs do not take account of any reduction in numbers due to death.
Nor do the costs take account of any reductions which would result from offsetting payments made under provisions in the war pensions scheme for widows who remarry. Under those provisions, widows of officers who remarry may have all or part of their war widow's pension restored if they are widowed a second time depending upon their financial circumstances; widows of other ranks are paid a gratuity equal to one year's pension on re-marriage. Child allowances paid in addition to the standard war widow's pension continue to be paid after re-marriage unless the children are adopted by their stepfather and such allowances are not included in the costs.