Should widows lose their pension if they re-marry?

[VectraMan]

The war widow(er)'s partner gave their life in service to the country.

And that makes it more difficult for a single woman to bring up children without a father?

[mudskipper]

And that makes it more difficult for a single woman to bring up children without a father?

That increases the country's obligation to the remaining parent.

[vetran]

there is a similar pension for civilian parents.

https://www.gov.uk/browse/benefits/bereavement

[d000hg]

Nobody mentioned children.

Yes they did, me.

And anyway, what you say applies to any other single woman with children to bring up. Why does the war widow have it more difficult than somebody whose husband died of natural causes?[/QUOTE]Why does the person who takes out a £1m life assurance policy on their partner have it more difficult than one who has no policy at all?
It's simply a perk of the job, that your family will still be provided for if you die in your line of work. For someone doing a risky job like fighting in wars, I imagine knowing their death won't leave their family penniless is quite comforting.

[VectraMan]

It's simply a perk of the job, that your family will still be provided for if you die in your line of work. For someone doing a risky job like fighting in wars, I imagine knowing their death won't leave their family penniless is quite comforting.

Fair enough. But back to the topic, if it's just life insurance as an added perk, whether the widow remarries is irrelevant. It's the suggestion that women (no mention of children) are helpless and need special help until the next meal ticket of a husband comes along that I object to on behalf of the sisterhood. And that seems to be the thinking behind this policy.

[d000hg]

So you're saying we should remove the pension in the first place to be fair to men who have wives in the forces?

[vetran]

So you're saying we should remove the pension in the first place to be fair to men who have wives in the forces?

its no longer called the widows pension. It includes wives & civil partners.

[mudskipper]

its no longer called the widows pension. It includes wives & civil partners.

And husbands?

IMO, it's right that the bereaved spouse/civil partner of a forces person killed on duty (as opposed to keeling over from too many burgers) gets a good pension, and should keep that pension regardless of whether they get a new partner.

[SpontaneousOrder]

Don't we live in the 21st century where women no longer require husbands to support them?

1> The pension in case of death in service is part of the employment deal - the same as when I was a permie there was a death in service pay-out. So nothing out of the ordinary, except the state pays it as the dead soldier was a state employee doing a risky job.

2> Women aren't allowed to serve in combat roles, so there's not really any need for a war-wodower's pension.

I'm not sure what the big problem you see is?

[d000hg]

IMO, it's right that the bereaved spouse/civil partner of a forces person killed on duty (as opposed to keeling over from too many burgers) gets a good pension

Way to make everything black and white!