War widows tell minister ‘give us pensions justice’
BATTLING war widows stripped of their military pension rights took their fight to Parliament.
Six widows travelled to London for a meeting with Defence Minister Johnny Mercer.
Both the Daily Express and the War Widows Association are fighting for a change to the law which saw war widows who remarried before 2015 lose the pension of their deceased husband, worth £7,500 a year.
If they divorced and remarried their spouse or if they were widowed again, the pension would be reinstated.
WWA chairwoman Mary Moreland, 62, said the meeting with Mr Mercer had been “enthusiastic and supportive”. She said: “He understands our plight and is determined to sort it out. I have a good feeling about it.”
Widows Anne Gillies, Moira Kane, Margaret Allen, Chris Dziuba and Eileen Kelly-McGregor told Mr Mercer their stories of finding love after tragedy. Mrs Gillies’
EXCLUSIVE
husband, pilot Joe Jackson, was 25 when he was killed in an accident in 1984. She said: “It was one of the hardest things. It affects your whole life forever.”
However, she was stripped of her pension after she remarried.
Mrs Moreland’s husband John, a reservist for the Ulster Defence Regiment, was murdered by the IRA in 1988 when she was in her early 30s.
The mother-of-two, who has not remarried, said: “Mr Mercer wanted to hear our experiences. He listened attentively, took a lot of notes and found it very valuable.”
Mr Mercer said he was due to meet Rishi Sunak, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, to discuss the issue.Yesterday he said: “It was a privilege to meet the War Widows Association to hear about their work.
“I am keen to resolve this issue to ensure these women receive the fair treatment they deserve.”