Page 15 - Federation magazine: February / March 2017

Police minister agrees to
meeting to discuss widows’
pension campaign

The campaign for all police widows to qualified for a survivor pension will now Police minister Brandon Lewis.
receive pensions for life has been continue to receive their survivors’ benefits
raised in the House of Commons for life, regardless of re-marriage.” full possession of the facts and figures,
again. But Mr Graham pointed out: “I welcome Mick Hume from the Police Federation
The campaign co-ordinated by Kate Hall, the changes made after the police widows of England and Wales will be seeking
widow of West Midlands Police officer Colin campaign, which I supported, but, of course, meetings with Mr Lewis and Mr
Hall who died on duty of a heart attack in they apply only to widows who re-marry or Graham.
1987, has once more attracted the support co-habit after April 2015, whereas elsewhere “It is important that the minister
of Richard Graham, the Conservative MP for in the UK, police widows’ pensions have understands the we don’t intend to
Gloucester. been reinstated regardless of the date of leave anyone behind, and will we
Under the terms of the 1987 pension their re-marriage. continue to campaign until all police
which Colin paid into, Kate and other “Does my Hon. Friend agree that police widows throughout the UK are granted
widows whose husbands paid into the same widows should be treated the same, life-long pension irrespective of when or
scheme, cannot retain their police pension if regardless of where police officers served in how their husbands died,” says Kate.
they choose to co-habit or re-marry the United Kingdom? Will he agree to meet
effectively forcing them to choose between me and other colleagues to discuss this
financial security and the chance of trying further?”
to re-build their lives. Mr Lewis acknowledged the Gloucester
Mr Graham asked during Home Office MP’s campaign and has agreed to meet him
questions in Parliament on 23 January: - and others - to discuss the issue.
“Whether she (the Home Secretary) is Kate says: “I am of course grateful to Mr
taking steps to ensure that widows of police Graham for raising the question of our
officers are not financially disadvantaged by campaign in the House of Commons,
re-marrying.” however, he speaks of our campaign in the
Police minister Brandon Lewis referred past tense and his questions gave little
to a change in the regulations that benefits indication of what is actually required to
the widows of officers killed on duty; the secure parity with the RUC widows of
majority of police widows do not benefit Northern Ireland.
from the changes. “It is encouraging that the minister has
“In January 2016, this Government agreed to meet with Mr Graham and other
changed legislation to the benefit of MPs to discuss the matter.”
widows, widowers and civil partners of Anxious that the minister should be in
police officers in England and Wales who
have died on duty,” he said.
“As a result, those survivors who

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