LGBT News Gay man wins Supreme Court case on equal pension rights

From the BBC:
A gay man has won a landmark ruling which will give his husband the same pension rights as a wife would receive.

The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that if John Walker, 66, dies, his husband is entitled to a spouse's pension, provided they remain married.

The ex-cavalry officer said it would drag the government "into the 21st century", while human rights group Liberty said "thousands" could benefit.

A government spokesman said it would review the implications of the ruling.

BBC legal affairs correspondent Clive Coleman said the ruling will have "a dramatic effect on the entitlement of thousands of civil partners and spouses in same sex marriages".

They will now enjoy the same pension rights and entitlements as spouses in a heterosexual marriage, our correspondent added.

'Absurd injustice'
Mr Walker took legal action as he wanted to ensure that - should he die first - his husband would receive an adequate pension.

The ruling means his husband, who is in his 50s, will now be entitled to a spousal pension of about £45,000 a year, rather than around £1,000 a year.

Mr Walker said it was "to our government's great shame that it has taken so many years, huge amounts of taxpayers' money and the UK's highest court to drag them into the 21st Century".
"In the years since we started this legal challenge, how many people have spent their final days uncertain about whether their loved one would be looked after?"

He added: "Finally this absurd injustice has been consigned to the history books and my husband and I can now get on with enjoying the rest of our lives together."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40580596