Police widows forced to make a cruel choice between love and money bring their fight for justice to Parliament this week. Archaic rules mean they will lose their pension entitlement if they find new love and re-marry or even live with a new partner.
Campaigners say they are being punished for finding a second chance at happiness after a spouse passes away and warn the Government faces another potential scandal following the WASPI row over changes to the state pension age for 1950s-born women. Women affected by the rules are to meet MPs at Westminster on Wednesday in a delegation organised by the National Association of Retired Police Officers and led by actor Graham Cole, an honorary member of the association after playing PC Tony Stamp on TV’s The Bill.
Mr Cole, whose daughter works for the police service, said: “My experience on The Bill was the closest you can get to being a police officer without facing the danger and demands that they do every day to keep us safe.
“The Government has to bin these cruel rules. No one should have to choose between love and money, particularly not those that have supported our brave bobbies and often lost their loves at far too young an age.”
Those calling on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to change the rules include Kath Morgan from Manchester, who was just 52 when husband David died. He had endured years of pain after sustaining a serious injury while chasing a burglar but continued to serve with Lancashire Constabulary and Greater Manchester Police. She was often left alone to care for the couple’s daughter Sarah, who requires day-to-day support due to a rare genetic condition and autism.
Despite having her own career as a Mental Health Act reviewer for the Care Quality Commission, Sarah relied on the widow’s pension she was entitled to after 30 years of marriage to David.
However, when she met new partner Steven, she discovered that heartless rules meant she would have to give up the pension if they wanted a life together.
Ms Morgan said: “This Government has an opportunity to put this right before it becomes the next scandal like the WASPI women or the Post Office scandal.
“The pension was not that much, I wasn’t living in luxury but I was able to get by.
“More than that, it gave me independence. When Steven asked me to marry him, I was surprised and delighted to get a second chance of happiness after all the years I had with David. But I couldn’t say yes straight away without thinking through the implications.
“Being in the police is not like a normal job. Many was the time David had to drop everything to go into work and keep the public safe, leaving me and Sarah at home. I was happy to do so, we all bought into the idea of service.
“Yet when I did nothing wrong but fall in love the service turned its back on me and pulled my widow’s pension.”
Mrs Morgan chose to go ahead with her new marriage but she said: “Some of us made a different choice to me or couldn’t afford to give up their pension at all and so have had to live alone for decades rather than enjoy the little things everyone ought to be entitled to, like having someone to talk to at the other day.”
Mr Cole appeared on more episodes of The Bill than any other actor and was made an OBE for services to charity in 2010.
He said: “I’m proud to join these women this week in bringing their stories to Parliament and increasing the pressure on MPs to support a fairer pensions system for those widowed while their partners were pursuing the line of duty.”