THE CAMPAIGN to gain equal entitlement to benefits for widowers has been given High Court approval for a test case.

This brings the prospect of a sizeable financial windfall to perhaps hundreds of elderly men in West Devon and East Cornwall.

In December the High Court agreed to hearing a group action involving around 250 claimants, subject to details being sorted out first. The case is likely to be heard towards the end of the year.

The rules on benefits will change in April, when the new bereavement benefit will be paid equally to men and women. But in the meanwhile widowers have no entitlement on their late wives' National Insurance contributions.

Geoffrey Cox, prospective Conservative candidate for West Devon and Torridge and a barrister, conducted the High Court case on December 18.

He said the compensation for widowers could be much greater than the £2,000 originally estimated.

'At first it was assumed they could only claim for the period from October to April. But it now appears they could be entitled to claim at the higher rate — the rate before April — for the whole time until they reach 65 and qualify for old age pension,' he said.

In some cases this could amount to payment for 20 to 30 years, according to Mr Cox. He said the government was 'attempting to hush this up' because of the potential volume of claims and its impact on the Social Security budget.

He said he would be trying to get as many widowers as possible to make a claim.

Lionel Turk, 64, of Horrabridge, is among those who will be in the test case group. His wife died in 1997, aged 60.

Mr Turk, who is not eligible for his company pension until he reaches 65, has lodged a claim with the Benefits Agency and instructed London solicitors Royds Treadwell to pursue his case.

Royds Treadwell solicitor Julia Davenport said the government might decide to settle with the claimants before the test case reached the court.