MORE than 100 war widows have been deprived of a pension because of government policy branded a "mess" by Otley's MP.

Greg Mulholland says his Parliamentary questions have this week revealed the scale of the problem.

The MP has joined forces with the Wharfedale & Aireborough Observer on the Justice For War Widows campaign.

He has been using the case of Otley resident Susan Rimmer, whose pension was stopped when she remarried in 1989, to highlight the flaws in the current legislation.

Mrs Rimmer's first husband, Private James Lee, of the 1st Battalion the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment, was killed by a terrorist bomb in Northern Ireland in July, 1972.

After that Susan, who was 19 and pregnant at the time, started receiving a War Widows Pension, but it was stopped when she remarried, to David Rimmer, in 1989.

Mr Mulholland says the fact the current rules, which were recently amended, still penalise some widows, depending on the dates when they lost their husbands and were remarried, is “arbitrary, morally wrong and unjustifiable”.

Ministers introduced the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme in 2005 for those widowed from this year onwards. As this didn't replace the War Widow Pension Scheme, it left two running in parallel. A war widow on the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme could remarry instantly and still keep her compensation. However, for a widow on the War Widow Pension Scheme, if her partner died after 1973, she had to wait until a 2015 change in Government policy in order to remarry and still be able to keep her compensation.

And the extent of the problem has now been revealed.

Between 110 and 135 widows and widowers have been affected by this anomaly. The figures were revealed after defence ministers responded to parliamentary questions tabled by Greg Mulholland.

Mr Mulholland said: "Partners of those killed fighting for our country deserve our utmost care and should be compensated appropriately.

"Sadly, the figures revealed show that changes by successive governments have led to policy in this area being a real mess.

"It is wrong and unfair that up to 135 widows had to give up their compensation after remarrying, the only reason being that their partner died before 2005. It should not matter when your partner dies fighting for Britain – they have made the ultimate sacrifice and government has a real obligation to take care of their partner and family.

"I will keep up the campaign for justice for all war widows, including the 135 affected by this anomaly, so that they can continue to get compensation they are rightly entitled to."

Visit https://www.change.org/p/ministry-of-defence-justice-for-war-widows to sign the campaign petition.

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