Thomas Harding

By Thomas Harding, Defence Correspondent

10:00PM GMT 27 Jan 2012

Sheenie Chant, who was seven months pregnant when she was widowed, said she has been forced to “go cap in hand” to private school to ensure her son has a good education as there is no provision for young children.

She has also accused politicians of “gross insensitivity” in failing to apply the Military Covent to war widows when it comes to taxing and assessing their pensions.

Regimental Sergeant Major Darren Chant was among five unarmed soldiers killed by a rogue Afghan policeman in Helmand in November 2009.

Mrs Chant had just given birth to their son George when it was assessed her widow’s pension was worth £19,000. The family’s joint income had dropped from £65,000 after she left her £22,000 job as an accountant at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst to bring up George.

RSM Chant, who was about to be commissioned as an officer, had served in the Army for 22 years accruing a pension worth £15,000 a year.
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Mrs Chant argues that this has only been topped up by £4,000 and does not recognise his future earnings, his age or her loss of employment as well as compensation for his death.

She is the first widow to speak out about the financial difficulties but says a number of Service widows share her distress.

“Widows are the forgotten ghosts of war,” she told The Daily Telegraph. “They give us enough not be on the breadline but not enough to give us the options that would have been there had our husbands lived.

“There is feeling of uneasiness to speak of the financial implications of our husbands’ deaths but on a personal level I was completely shocked on how clumsy and blunt it all is.”

“Tax is deducted, which essentially is taxing a dead mans pension. This is all nothing short of disgraceful and a money saving scheme.”

As an officer RSM Chant, 40, would have served a further 15 years during which he would have been entitled to the Continuity of Education that pays up to two-thirds of school fees.

But although George receives a MoD grant of £3,000 a year his mother has been forced to seek a bursary which has been generously granted by a top public school.

“I’m afraid they have acted with dignity where others have not.

“Darren made the ultimate sacrifice for Queen and country. How is the Govenrment honouring that sacrifice?”

She was shopping in a Camberley supermarket when her father called to say two Army officers were at the house.

“There was a rush of emotions kept thinking he can’t be killed, he can’t be dead.”

“You’re pregnant but the lioness of motherhood kicks in immediately and the little man is protected.”

RSM Chant’s funeral was in the Guards Chapel, London, where he had married Sheenie only four months earlier.

Having survived tours of Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan Mrs Chant saw her husband as “indestructible”.

“The only way Darren could be killed was in an unfair fight.”

It is understood that Gulbuddin, the rogue policeman, has probably been killed since the attack.

“When he meets his Maker I’m sure Darren will be at the door waiting for him ready to have a quiet word,” Mrs Chat said.

Her husband was demonstrably brave. On one occasion in Helmand in 2007 he carried a limbless soldier a mile to a helicopter following a firefight.

Since his death the Grenadier Guards have been “loyal, decent and shown genuine love for me and George” but have been “mortified” by her financial situation.

“It’s never discussed, the aftermath of what happens to widow,” she said, speaking from her home in Camberley.

Mrs Chant, 35, has raised the issue with ministers from the previous government and has yet to receive a reply to a letter she sent to David Cameron.

“With the Military Covenant coming up where are we in all of this, war widows and children of fallen? We don’t want token gestures.”

“Ultimately Darren died protecting the very freedoms they enjoy sat in Whitehall but our issues are just white noise to them.”

A bloody disgrace.

Pensions, where a soldier leaves kids behind, should be based on projected future earnings and entitlements.

Originally Posted by Bushmills

A bloody disgrace.

Pensions, where a soldier leaves kids behind, should be based on projected future earnings and entitlements.

Yes. Widows and children are very often the unseen casualties of war.

Automatic CEA should be a given and a much better pension, if we can cap benefits at £26,000 then we can start widows pensions at £26,000.

Although I don't see why her giving up her £22k job is a factor, in this. Did he have life insurance? ie PAX? I for one, and I advise all others to do the same (esp fathers) bump my insurance right up on tour.

And well done to the school for taking on the nipper. Excactly how the private schooling sector should be working.

Are those figures correct? I thought when you die in service your NOK get a payment as well?

Originally Posted by chocolate_frog

Automatic CEA should be a given and a much better pension, if we can cap benefits at £26,000 then we can start widows pensions at £26,000.

She gets a 19K pension and a 3k a year for her son from the MOD. Add other benefits (Child Benefit for example) and its not to far off 26K.
Its is of of course sad her husband died but its hardly poverty.

Originally Posted by stacker1

She gets a 19K pension and a 3k a year for her son from the MOD. Add other benefits (Child Benefit for example) and its not to far off 26K.
Its is of of course sad her husband died but its hardly poverty.

Is the 19K and 3k taxed in anyway? Particularly the 19k? I wouldn't think 30k (net) would be a hardship for HMG to bestow upon a bereived servicemans family. regardless of their rank.

Originally Posted by stacker1

She gets a 19K pension and a 3k a year for her son from the MOD. Add other benefits (Child Benefit for example) and its not to far off 26K.
Its is of of course sad her husband died but its hardly poverty.

Stacker
This is no place for one of your arguments.

This soldiers's little lad should have the same standard of living and life chances as if his dad were still alive.

Bad enough that he loses his dad, but his growing up short of a quid is a diabolical insult to any civilised nation.

Originally Posted by chocolate_frog

Is the 19K and 3k taxed in anyway? Particularly the 19k? I wouldn't think 30k (net) would be a hardship for HMG to bestow upon a bereived servicemans family. regardless of their rank.

I don't think 22k (plus any state benefits) for not having to work is that bad either. (taxed or not).
I'm sure everyone would like 100k a year pension to be given to the families of those who die in service to the country but we cant afford it and its not needed to survive.

Originally Posted by Bushmills

Stacker
This is no place for one of your arguments.

This soldiers's little lad should have the same standard of living and life chances as if his dad were still alive.

Bad enough that he loses his dad, but his growing up short of a quid is a diabolical insult to any civilised nation.

Maybe you should look at bit harder at the story rather than get all emotional because it involved a dead soldier. If his dad was denied CEA the little lad wouldnt be getting into a private school, if his father resigned they would be getting 15k a year not the 22k.
He is not growing up short of a quid, so dry your eyes and stop using the death of a soldier as an excuse to spend money that the MOD can ill afford.