Another Pension Query!

[verdun]

 

1. Was it policy to pay the pension to the mother of an unmarried soldier, rather than to the father who, I believe, was usually the next of kin?

 

2. How long was the pension payable for?

[Matlock1418]

1) In my [admittedly recent and limited] experience of looking at pension records the mother is very commonly recorded as the dependant beneficiary.

It is interesting to note that in many cases the soldier's will was often made in favour of the mother too - Wills available from https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/#wills

I don't know if there was a formal link between the two.

I have always suspected [can't yet prove it] probably if the father was alive and in employment and had an income than he would not be considered 'dependant' on the soldier.

However the mother would probably not be in such a situation and thus was dependant.

Dependency was the key necessity I believe.

 

2) I believe pension was for life and may/would usually pass to father on the death of mother or if not living to/and to any dependant children [or siblings] under the age of 16

 

Craig is your main man - and probably has much more familiarity with/has ready access to documents such as Hogge and Garside's War Pensions and Allowances  https://archive.org/details/thewarpensionsallow00hoggrich/page/n6 

[I suspect the answer(s) likely to be in there and will probably rip my theory to shreds - at least I too will have learned something more about pensions!]

Edited 20 November , 2019 by Matlock1418
Correction and addition

[verdun]

Very helpful, indeed and much appreciated - many thanks!