POLICE WIDOWS' PENSIONS

That this House recognises the service of any person who makes the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of their country, and leaves behind family members and loved ones; is deeply concerned that the Police Pension Regulations 1987 do not allow police widows or widowers the opportunity to marry or cohabit, without losing their right to a police widows’ or widowers’ pension for life; agrees with the Police Federation of England and Wales that it is morally deplorable to make widows and widowers, and by extension their dependents, effectively choose between future financial security and the possibility of future personal happiness; welcomes the fact that the Police Pension Regulations 2006 allow new entrants or serving officers to transfer to a new scheme which permits their survivors to access benefits which are payable for life regardless of whether they remarry; regrets that nevertheless many police widows and widowers still remain disadvantaged by the Police Pensions Regulations 1987; and calls on the Government to review the situation, in order to ensure parity and fairness with police widows and widowers in all parts of the UK, as a matter of urgency.