Margaret Ritchie urges government to ‘do the decent thing’ on Troubles pension

Now sitting in the House of Lords, former SDLP South Down MP Lady Ritchie said Tory ministers should “fulfil their obligations” to those seriously injured.

The pension scheme had been due to open on May 29 but has been delayed as a result of a row over eligibility and who will foot the bill.

Sinn Fein minister Michelle O’Neill had refused to agree which Stormont department should administer the scheme while former terrorists, who were injured while harming others, were excluded.

Last month a High Court judge ruled that The Executive Office was acting unlawfully by delaying the pension payments.

However, the scheme is still not operational.

During an oral question in Parliament on Thursday, Lady Ritchie said Westminster should “carry the financial burden” of funding the payments.

“The money should not come from the Stormont block grant as this is already under huge pressure,” she said.

“Some of the victims are also from outside Northern Ireland, so it is right and proper that the Treasury should pick up the bill. Two more victims died recently while waiting for these payments.”

Lady Ritchie added: “People are denied the compensation that they are due because of the Tory government’s failure to take responsibility. Those who were injured...have suffered enough. Many of them had their lives altered and have been bearing the burden of their injuries for decades.”