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Ministry of Defence

Answer

Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what the lump sum death-in-service pay is to widows or widowers for an army corporal; [143021] (2) what percentage of an army corporal's final salary is payable to a spouse following death-in- service. [143020] Mr. Caplin: The current Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS) final salary benefits are not based on individual earnings but on a representative rate of pay for each rank. This means that all those of the same rank with the same length of service retiring in the same year receive the same rate of pension regardless of their actual earnings. The current representative rate of pay for a corporal is £24,678 per annum. The level of death- in-service lump sum paid to a widow or widower of a corporal in the Regular Army depends on length of service and whether the death was attributable to service. Where the cause of death is not attributable, the current lump sum is between £23,938 and £35,907, between 97 per cent. and 146 per cent. of the representative rate of pay. If the death is attributable to service, an attributable gratuity of £11,969 is paid in addition to the non-attributable lump sum; this increases the value of the lump sum as a percentage of the representative rate of pay to between 146 per cent. and 194 per cent. Both the lump sum and gratuity are paid tax-free. In addition to the lump sum, the widow of a corporal in the Regular Army would receive a short-term pension which is equivalent to 100 per cent. of the individual's final salary, paid, depending on circumstances, for a period of between 91 and 273 days. When the short-term pension ceases, a long-term pension is paid. The non- attributable widow's pension is 6.5 per cent. of the representative rate of pay where the individual has served for five years; this rises to 24.25 per cent. for 34 or more years' service. The attributable widows pension is 39 per cent. of the representative rate of pay.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

415 c653-5W; 143021;143020

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Armed forces Death Army Bereavement benefits Payments Widowed people

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk