A lump sum payment of £87,500 is to be made available to war widows in recognition of those who forfeited their pensions prior to 2015.
Widows of serving personnel who forfeited their pensions prior to 2015 could be eligible for a one-off payment of £87,500 as part of the government’s continued support for the armed forces, their families and veterans.
The change was announced last month by the Rt Hon Dr Andrew Murrison MP, Minister for Defence People, Veterans and Service Families, the Ministry of Defence and charity Veterans UK.
The new joint initiative from the Ministry of Defence and the Treasury will address old rules in which a cohort of bereaved spouses, civil partners and eligible partners forfeited their pensions if they remarried or cohabited before 2015.
Matt Vickers MP said:
“Anyone involved in active service needs a supportive network at home.
“Allowing the person you love to serve for their country is a huge sacrifice, and it’s a behind the scenes role with very little recognition.
“Supporting veterans' widows is incredibly important, and this payment helps us to honour our commitment. I wholeheartedly support this decision from the Ministry of Defence and the Treasury.”
Minister for Defence People, Veterans and Service Families, Dr Andrew Murrison said:
“Our war widows have made a great sacrifice for our country and we will continue to support them in every way we can. This payment is a small but important step towards continuing to honour the commitment we have made to these brave people and we will continue to ensure they receive the recognition and support they deserve.”
Chief Secretary to the Treasury John Glen said:
“The legacy of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for this country endures, and it’s only right that we honour that service by doing right by their loved ones.
“This government will always stand behind our armed forces, their families and veterans and this payment is a token of our continued commitment to them.”
The scheme will be up and running later this year and all those who are eligible are strongly encouraged to come forward and apply.
