Government robs heroes widows an injured soldiers

[Gromit]

// War widows will lose hundreds of thousands of pounds because of cuts to their pensions and benefits, campaigners claim.

The changes, introduced by the Coalition, will affect families of the dead as well as permanently disabled soldiers, according to the Forces Pension Society.

The criticism, before Remembrance Sunday, comes in a letter by the organisation’s chairman, Vice-Admiral Sir Michael Moore.

He wrote: ‘It is so easy for Mr Cameron to extol the Forces at every opportunity, and he will probably do so on Remembrance Sunday, but his words have a hollow ring unless he addresses these issues personally.’

The problems originate from measures announced in the summer which state all public sector pensions would be linked to the consumer price index (CPI).

Experts predict this will leave service families less well-off than if their pensions were linked to the historically more generous retail price index (RPI).

It means the annual Guaranteed Income Payment, which is paid to badly injured servicemen and women, will also be pegged to the CPI.

According to The Forces Pension Society, a not-for-profit company, the changes will mean that a 34-year-old widow of a staff sergeant killed in Afghanistan would lose almost £750,000 over the course of her lifetime. //

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Should injured soldiers be exempt from the Government's axe?

[dundurn]

In an ideal world they would be. Unfortunately they are considered to be under the same heading as the Civil Service. I would imagine that Mr Cameron is being told by Treasury civil servants that if the Forces were to be granted an exemption then the rest of the Civil Service would be able to cite this as a precedent in resisting the general reduction. So indeed would the Police and Fire Services, the NHS etc, etc.

There is a way out of the impasse. Take away the War Widow's pension entirely and replace it with a completely different award. Call it a Compensation Payment and purchase an RPI-linked annuity which would be completely outside the pension rules. I would imagine this would be more expensive to do and that might be a more telling argument against its introduction.

[jackthehat]

I think most right-headed people can see the difference between men and women who are prepared to put their well-being, life and limb on the line...........and career civil servants whose greatest dangers lie in sustaining paper cuts.

[granny grump]

Do you know why gromit that policemen can't be made redundant but service personnel can?

[naomi24]

You don't usually take the Mail seriously. Why now?

[123everton]

I thought Cameron was going to restore the contract between the services and the goverment, politicians and their promises eh.

[Gromit]

Granny grump

Not sure that is true

http://www.dailymail....runch-crime-wave.html

[Gromit]

I'm surprised AOG has had nothing to say about the Government cutting War Heroes' pensions, he mustn't be too bothered about it.