§ Mr. Alfred MorrisTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is, for the latest year for which records exist, the average pension received from all sources by a war widow whose husband was of private rank or equivalent and who died or left the armed forces(a) before 31 March 1973 and (b) after that date.
§ Mrs. Gillian Shephard[holding answer 25 October 1989]: I regret this information is not available. Under the war pension scheme administered by the Department of Social Security a war widow of a private would receive currently a tax-free war widows pension of £56.65. In addition, age allowances of £6.10 at 65, £12.20 at 70 and £15.30 at 80 are payable. It is unlikely that widows whose husbands served on or after 31 March 1973 would be eligible for age allowances. A war widow whose husband served on or after 31 March 1973 would also receive a forces family pension paid under the armed forces pension scheme. For the widow of a private this would be about £68 a week, the exact figure depending on the year in which her husband's service ended. About 75 per cent. of war widows are also in receipt of a retirement pension, but no information is available about the rates received. Nor is it known what other pensions or income individual war widows may have.
§ Mr. Neil ThorneTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what definition his Department uses of war widow for pension purposes.
§ Mrs. Gillian Shephard[holding answer 27 October 1989]: The Department applies the legislation for the time being in force. Different orders or schemes apply in different circumstances, but none of these provides an express definition of the term "war widow". The Service Pensions Order provides a pension in certain circumstances for a widow of a member of the armed forces whose death was due to service. Whether death was due to service is determined in accordance with the substantive provisions of the order. The civilians scheme includes provision for the award of pensions to widows where the late husband's death was a direct result of war injuries or war service injuries. There are a number of other schemes which also provide pensions for widows who satisfy the requirements of that particular scheme. These include widows whose late husbands were members of the Naval Auxiliary Service, Mercantile Marine, Her Majesty's Coastguard, Auxiliary Coastguard, Home Guard, Ulster Defence Regiment, Polish forces who served under British command during world war 2, the Polish resettlement forces, or the nursing and auxiliary services.
§ Mr. Alfred MorrisTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he has any plans to increase the pensions of widows of the two world wars to make them more comparable with the benefits paid to widows of service men who died after 1973.
§ Mrs. Gillian Shephard[holding answer 1 November 1989]: Under the war pensions scheme administered by the Department of Social Security, the pension paid to a 672W war widow is the same regardless of when she was widowed. Provision for service men's widows through the occupational forces family pension paid under the armed forces pension scheme is a matter for my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Defence. The pensions paid under the war pensions scheme are larger than national insurance widows' pensions, can be received in addition to a retirement pension on the widow's own contributions and are free of tax. In addition, age allowances of £6.10 at age 65, £12.20 at 70 and £15.30 at 80 are paid. These allowances are unique to the war pensions scheme and will be increased from next April to £7, £13.50 and £20 respectively. Eighty five per cent. of all war widows receive age allowances.