SIR, —Can any of your readers help me to understand the
method of granting a "compassionate allowance" or " pension " (both terms are used on the War Office forms), to widows of Regular Officers in the British Army ?
On the death of my husband, a Lieut.-Colonel, of whose army record I am justly proud, my solicitor applied to the Under Secretary of State for the War Office, for a pension for me. This was refused, and he was told to apply again at the end of the financial year. Some monetary help at the moment of application would have been welcome. At the end of the year application was again made, and again refused.
At the end of the next year the request was repeated, the application this time being backed by some one, to put it vulgarly, with a "social pull." I had to fill up forms with the most intimate information, such as the relations existing between my husband and myself during our married life, and to give details of his private income, and my own. These forms were not I think specified in any way as confidential, and were, I suppose, open to the curiosity of any understrapper in the W.O. Department.
Having done all this the War Office has granted me for one year the sum of ,C50, though they admit that k90 per annum is the pension for the widow of a Lieut.-Colonel. To my enquiry as to why the widow of a Captain, who had only ten years peace-time service, and was killed playing a game, should be granted L140 per annum, no reply is given.
I asked my banker if he could explain anything, but he tells mc that for years he has tried, on behalf of his clients, to find out, but with no success.
I enclose my card.—Yours faithfully, A WIDOW.
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