Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent progress he has made on the War Widow(er)s Recognition Payment scheme; how many applicants have received payments; and what the (a) branch of service and (b) regiment of such recipients is.

This Government recognises the unique commitment that Service families make to our country. We remain sympathetic to those widows and widowers who forfeited pensions under historic rules because they remarried or cohabited.

The War Widow(er)s Recognition Payment Scheme has received 357 applications and accepted and paid 240 claims since it was launched on 16 October 2023. Of those, 99% of all claims have been processed and the Recognition Payment Scheme is delivering effectively to those it was established to recognise.

Information relating to the branch of service and regiment of individuals whose widows have received payments under the scheme is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.