Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the oral contribution of 15 March 2021 by the then Minister for Defence People and Veterans, Official Report, column 22, what steps he has taken to examine all possibilities to resolve historic issues relating to war widows’ pensions.

The Government recognises the unique commitment that service families make and remains sympathetic to the circumstances of those who remarried and cohabited before 1 April 2015. Successive Governments have had a policy against retrospective reinstatement.

As previously stated by the Defence Secretary in the House, the Department is examining alternative methods to see whether we can mitigate the impact of these changes. We have consulted the Chair of the War Widows Association and HM Treasury.