New scheme to help police partners
Monday February 08 2010
Partners of police officers killed in the line of duty are to receive financial support through a new government-funded scheme, the Security Minister said.
The police survivor support scheme will provide a one-off payment of up to £20,000 to assist the partners of deceased officers who have formed a new relationship, making them ineligible for their survivor pension.
Minister Paul Goggins said: "In Northern Ireland, many brave men and women of the RUC and PSNI have paid the ultimate sacrifice whilst serving their community.
"The partners of those brave men and women deserve our support and the Police Survivor Support Scheme will provide financial assistance as they continue to re-build their lives."
The initiative will be run by the Police Dependants' Trust (PDT), which has been providing financial support to the families of officers killed on duty for over 40 years.
PDT chief executive David French said: "The trust has been operating since 1966 and we are delighted to work with the Northern Ireland Office to administer the scheme for widows in Northern Ireland."
