War Pensions Delay

The following letter was published in the Hertfordshire Mercury in 1919.

The approximate, equivalent amounts of money today are £200 = 5,800; £1 0s. 5d. = £30 and £2 3s. 4d. = £63.

WAR PENSIONS DELAY.

PROTEST FROM NEW BARNET.

(To the Editor.)

Sir, – Is it not time that some public protest was made at the delay in granting the pensions which are due to some of our county war widows?

I know of one case in this district where the death of the husband was reported more that nine months ago and the widow is not yet in receipt of the pension to which she is by law entitled.  This young woman was left with a baby six months old to support when her husband died; she has a little home of her own and before her husband joined up he was in receipt of a salary of £200  per annum.  The pension she is being paid at the present moment amounts to only £1 0s. 5d per week, and your readers will understand what this means to pay rent, rates, and taxes and to keep herself and her child at the present prices.

I understand she has made repeated applications to the Local Pension Authority, who inform her that the pension due to her is about £2  3s. 4d. per week, and it is now more than three months overdue.

Surely something ought to be done to prevent the aggravated misery of these poor women who have lost everything through the war. – yours faithfully,

J. FAULKNER.

Holbrook,

Bulwer Rad,

New Barnet.