Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have found a solution to the problem of War Widows pensions, as referred to in the letter from Baroness Goldie to Lord Craig of Radley dated 11 Maerch 2020 and placed in the Library of the House.

The Government recognises the unique commitment that service families make to our country and remains sympathetic to the circumstances of those who remarried and cohabited before 1 April 2015. The Ministry of Defence is exploring options that ensure consistency with established Government convention that such payments are not made retrospectively. The issue remains a priority for the Department, though it remains very complex. The Defence Secretary has taken a personal lead in this matter and wrote to Mrs Mary Moreland, the former Chair of the War Widows Association. The Department is ensuring that the necessary time and resource is committed to examine every reasonable option that remains possible.