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A one-off payment of £87,500 for eligible spouses in recognition of those who forfeited their pensions prior to 2015.

• A one-off payment of £87,500 for eligible spouses
• In recognition of those who forfeited their pensions prior to 2015
• Justified under a key principle of the Armed Forces Covenant

Widows of serving personnel who forfeited their pensions prior to 2015 could be eligible for a one-off payment of £87,500 as part of the government’s continued support for the armed forces, their families and veterans.

The new joint initiative from the Ministry of Defence and the Treasury will address old rules in which a cohort of bereaved spouses, civil partners and eligible partners forfeited their pensions if they remarried or cohabited before 2015.

The scheme and one-off payment are designed to support those whose spouses’ death was attributable to service. The application window, open later this year, will remain open for two years with support for applicants provided by the Veterans UK Call Centre, and welfare support available through the Veterans Welfare Service for those who require emotional support during the process.

Minister for Defence People, Veterans and Service Families, Dr Andrew Murrison said:

“Our war widows have made a great sacrifice for our country and we will continue to support them in every way we can. This payment is a small but important step towards continuing to honour the commitment we have made to these brave people and we will continue to ensure they receive the recognition and support they deserve.”

Chief Secretary to the Treasury John Glen said:

“The legacy of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for this country endures, and it’s only right that we honour that service by doing right by their loved ones.

“This government will always stand behind our armed forces, their families and veterans and this payment is a token of our continued commitment to them.”

This recognition payment is appropriate under the Armed Forces Covenant, a unique commitment by the nation in acknowledgment of the sacrifices that members of our Armed Forces and their families make for our security. A key principle of the Covenant is that special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given so much, such as the injured and the bereaved.

The scheme, in recognition of the sacrifice these bereaved individuals have made, will be up and running later this year and all those who are eligible are strongly encouraged to come forward and apply.

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War widows were forced to give up their pensions if they remarried before 2015© Getty Images/iStockphotoWar widows who were forced to give up their pensions after their spouse died will receive a lump sum compensation payment of nearly £90,000 after a long-running campaign.

The compensation scheme will benefit the widows of military personnel who died as part of their service but later remarried or moved in with a partner.

Between 1973 and 2015, this group of people were forced to give up their "lifelong" War Widow pension when they began a new relationship.

However, the pension rules changed in 2015 and they no longer needed to do this - however, the rule was not backdated and a few hundred people were not set to be reimbursed the money they lost.

The Government confirmed last week that those affected by this would receive a one off lump sum payment of £87,500 to make up for the lost income.

The payments will come through a joint initiative from the Ministry of Defence and the Treasury.

Up to 380 people are thought to be affected and could receive the £87,500 payment.

The Government has confirmed that it was "not possible" to restore their pensions in full, and that the lump sum payment would be taxed.

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