Press campaign forces U-turn by MoD in battle over Gulf War hero’s pension

11:00am Monday 13th August 2007

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RED-FACED bureaucrats have apologised for the distress they caused the grieving family of war veteran Terry Walker and agreed to waive their demand for a refund of his last pension payment.

The U-turn comes after The Press reported how the Service Personnel & Veterans Agency had sent a "cruel" letter to Terry's bereaved father asking for the repayment of £243.88.

His distraught family, of Wheldrake, were already fighting a battle for the restoration of Terry's war and army pension, which were both stopped on his death, leaving his two teenage children with nothing.

Today, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has admitted its heavy-handedness by agreeing to waive the sum of money that was overpaid into Terry's account after his death in June.

His father, Ted Walker, said: "It's one battle won and we're extremely relieved. It's definitely good news and I'm hoping we will have more to come in the days ahead, because obviously we're still pushing for the pension to be transferred to Terry's children."

Ted said a Press reader from Thorganby, near York, had been so appalled by how Terry had been treated by the Ministry of Defence, she had offered to pay back the pension herself.

He said: "A lady from Thorganby was so angry after she read what had happened in The Press, she came to see my wife in the village shop and said, I've got my cheque book in front of me, how much do you need?' "We couldn't possibly accept it, of course, but it's such a comfort to know that people are on our side, and we're really grateful to The Press for all you've done.

"This lady said she had been absolutely flabbergasted at the way the MoD was treating us and wanted to do something to help."

Another reader, who wished to remain unnamed, wrote to The Press to express her disgust.

She wrote: "We see war films on TV, but you just cannot begin to put yourself in that position of what the soldiers go through.

"I for one absolutely appreciate all they do, and they deserve every penny they can get."

Terry, who was 48 when he died, had been granted a 100 per cent war pension in 1998, in recognition of the crippling disabilities he suffered in the first Gulf War.

But shortly before last Christmas, the payments were cut to only 40 per cent of what they had been and, following his death, it was stopped altogether, as was his army pension.

The Press is campaigning for his full 100 per cent war pension to be reinstated, and for both his army pension and war pension to be made transferable, so his children, Stefan and Kirsty Walker, aged 17 and 12, receive some benefit.

More than 600 people have now signed our petition, which can be signed via the link below.