Last year I had read that those wives who have not contributed to the NHS stamp will not get a pension when their husbands pass away.Now that aggrivates me as this should be means tested and I shall tell you why in my view.Some wives could not possibly get a job because like most married couples have children and the wife stays at home to bring them up for 16 to 18 years, or may find their selves after bringing up children taking care of an elderly or sick parent which saves the Goverment a lot of money because carers arn't paid an awful lot.
The Goverment in their austerity measures has gone ahead with this draconian idea that ever body are in the same situation and have not bothered to get a job and pay an NHS stamp which is ludicrous for the reasons I have given leaving the wife to grow old with no pension and relying on Goverment hand outs.

This year in fact this week I read that wives of soldiers who have a Army pension will not be able to continue to receive the part pension that they qualify for when their husbands dies if they remarry or have a partner at some future time.This has aggrevated me again because most Army wives in the past could not get a job when living over seas even if they wanted to even if they had no kids to bring up . Some countries prevent foreingners from obtaining a job even if they can speak the local language which is rare.Once again the wife is punished again for being fool hardy by marrying a soldier and following around and supporting him by bringing up the kids and giving him some sort of a home life.
My wife came to Northern Ireland and lived in Omagh in the early eighties in a married quarter with me at the time when the troubles were bad.If you can remember when "
Bobby Sands "
started his slimming club in the Maze prison and when he died all hell broke loose.Several wives would go shopping in Omagh which you may of heard of being blown up a couple of times risking their lives. You may say well they had a choice to stay in the safer parts of the UK but my answer to that is "
Loyalty"
on their part which I respected them as they wanted their husbands to have a normal life in a bad situation.As far as I'm concerned these Army wives have the right to that part pension because all though they may have not worn the uniform they did the time and gave their full support to their husbands.
I would like to point out that those wives who's husband were killed in action will continue to receive the part pension if they remarry or have a partner.I agree with that of course but I cannot see the differnce to be honest as deceased is deceased no matter how you look at it.

What the MOD should have done was to pay a voluntary stamp for those Army wives who couldn't work or gat a job so at least they would qualify for a old age pension.

I have written to the Daily Maily who's story this was on both occassions to investigate if Poloticians wives receive their husband pensions from the Goverment if they were to remarry or have a partner after their husbands death.I would put money on it that they do and I bet they get an OAP pension even though they have never paid an NHS stamp.

Speedgunner I worked in the private pensions sector for 16 years and nothing surprises me now. It is a dreadful shame that women are penalized for doing one of the most difficult jobs raising a family, I expect it has happened to men too when they change roles. I't is just not fair.