Can 合法的な & General 減ずる my husband's 年金?

By Tony Hazell for the Daily Mail

Updated: 11:09 BST, 16 January 2013

My husband worked for Time 製品s for 37 years and paid into its 年金 計画／陰謀. On his 退職 he received £92 a month.

During the 介入するing years the 計画／陰謀 was taken over by 合法的な & General. When my husband died in December 2010 I was told I’d receive a 年金 of £67.96 a month.

After a couple of months this was 減ずるd to £59.47. I queried this with 合法的な & General, but was told that this was because my husband was 15 years older than me. I know this is not a big 年金, but it buys my winter 支持を得ようと努めるd and coal.

Is L&G 許すd to do this? It has 申し込む／申し出d me £50 補償（金）. E.C., Norfolk.

混乱させるd: Why has my husbands 年金 支払い（額）s been 減ずるd after his death?

Tony Hazell, from Money Mail, replies: The simple answer to your question is ‘yes’.

Many occupational 年金 計画／陰謀s have 条項s in them 許すing the trustees to 減ずる the 支払い（額） if a 未亡人 or widower is more than ten years younger than their spouse.

This is because the 年金 will probably have to be paid for much longer.

In the 事例／患者 of the Time 製品s 計画／陰謀, the spouse’s annuity is 減ずるd by 2.5?per cent for each 完全にする year that you are younger in 超過 of ten years.

So in your 事例／患者 it would be five times 2.5?per cent, which is 12.5?per cent.

If you’d been older you would have received £815.52 year. But you will get 87.5?per cent of this, which is £713.58.

合法的な & General will 許す you to keep the overpayment of £33.96 and the £50 補償（金） it 申し込む／申し出d. I know this must feel 不公平な, but I can 保証する you it is by no means unique.