Secretary General s1

David Robson Secretary General CAFF UK 34 Raynes Road Lee-on-the-Solent Hampshire PO13 9AL

Telephone: 02392 552661

Lt. Commander D. Marsh Pensions Secretary Forces Pension Society 68 South Lambeth Road Vauxhall London SW8 1RL

June 24th 2015

Dear David Marsh

Armed Forces Widow’s Pensions

Since I am a Member of the Armed Forces Pension Society, Mrs Margaret Derham has asked if I can seek your advice regarding a Widow’s Pension in relation to the details enclosed and the letter from Major General A.S.H. Irwin dated 21st May 1999 to Archy Kirkwood MP. Mrs Derham was married to Mr John Derham who died on September 28th 1998 after having served many years in the British Army.

Mrs Derham strongly objects to the contents of the letter sent to Archy Kirkwood MP and considers it to be grossly unfair and means she has been without a Widow’s Pension for the best part of 17 years. Mr Derham had previously been divorced when she married him and many of her contempories who married a divorcee with Private Pension arrangements for the payment of a Widows Pension after a divorce, do receive a Pension after the deaths of their husbands.

Her reasons are that she considers the Governments Actuaries must have adjusted Mr Derham’s level of pay during his service to take account of all financial eventualities regarding future costs including any differences in ages between a first and second marriage after a divorce. Mrs Derham is now 75 years of age and his first wife is now 79 so in her case there is only 4 years difference. His first wife could well 2 live much longer than herself eventually anyway. This means his actual years of service would have had no bearing on any Widow’s Pension paid to his first wife had he remained married to her.

The present rules and restrictions means that to date the Treasury has been saved 17 years of paying out on a Widow’s Pension to date and the only person who has incurred prohibitive costs has been Mrs Derham herself ! Additionally she considers the costs she incurred whilst nursing Mr Derham during his long illnesses prior to his death are also relevant.

Lord Callagham when asked as the Defence Minister on an “Any Questions” Radio Programme why service pay levels were so low compared with other national incomes in the early 1960’s replied –

“Service pay levels had to be considered in relation to the Pensions they receive !”

For Mrs Derham she considers that not only is she being treated unfairly but also with total contempt by a ‘Dog in the Manger’ Government.

Would you please consider seeking a response and explanation from the present Government Minister and compensation for Mrs Derham.

According to the present “Armed Forces Covenant”, no individual should be disadvantaged for having served in the Armed Forces ! Mr Derham has been severely disadvantaged inasmuch he has been unable to leave a Widow’s Pension, he has indirectly paid for, to his legitimate wife.

It would also be interesting to know what the rules are regarding the payment of a Widow’s Pension from an MP’s Pension Fund when they re-marry after a divorce ?

Yours sincerely,

David Robson Secretary General Combined Armed Forces Federation UK