Compensation For War Widows

EDM number 1133 in 2015-16, proposed by Greg Mulholland on 24/02/2016.
Categorised under the topics of Armed forces, Benefits policy, Children and families, Death, Equality, Pensions and Veterans.

That this House notes the changes announced in 2014 which allowed war widows or widowers who lost their spouse or cohabiting partner in service in the armed forces before 6 April 2005, and had not remarried by 1 April 2015, to retain their war widow pension for life regardless of ongoing relationship status; further notes that this excluded war widows bereaved before 6 April 2005 who remarried between 31 March 1973 and 6 April 2005 and lost their war widows pension upon remarrying; believes that this is arbitrary, morally wrong and unjustifiable; notes the example of Susan Rimmer, from Otley, whose husband Private James Lee was killed in Northern Ireland in 1972 when Susan was 19, married for just nine months and six months pregnant; notes that Susan lost her war widow pension upon remarrying in 1989 and since then has received no compensation for the loss of her first husband and her daughter's father; notes the Ministry of Defence say her payment can only be reinstated if she divorces her second husband but could then keep it if she remarried him; further believes this to be absurd and not how we should treat families of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the UK; believes that everyone who lost partners in service to their country at any time should receive equal compensation on an ongoing basis regardless of relationship status; therefore supports the campaign backed by the Wharfedale and Aireborough Observer; and urges the Government to correct this injustice.

This motion has been signed by a total of 22 MPs.