MEMBERSHIP IS OPEN TO ALL REGULAR AND RESERVE ROYAL ENGINEER OFFICERS REGARDLESS OF RELATIONSHIP STATUS
MEMBERS SUBSCRIBE DURING SERVICE AND BEYOND UNTIL AGE 60. MEMBERSHIP CONTINUES TO DEATH AND WILL THEREFORE PAY OUT
IMMEDIATE LUMP SUM CASH PAYMENT TO MEMBER’S SPOUSE/PARTNER, NOMINATED BENFICIARY(S) OR ESTATE FOLLOWING DEATH (£4,840 per unit full rate or £2,420 per unit if single)
ANNUITY PAYMENTS FOR THE LIFETIME OF THE MEMBER’S SPOUSE OR PARTNER & EACH DEPENDENT CHILD UP TO AGE 21 (£545 per unit)
MEMBERSHIP
Membership of the Society is open to all Royal Engineer Officers, regardless of commission type and gender and, since 2020, the Society has recognised all forms of enduring relationship once registered.
Members pay subscriptions from the point of enrolment until their 60th birthday, but remain members for life regardless of when they leave the Corps.
All single members receive a 50% reduction on published subscription rates. Those single officers joining within a year of commissioning receive an additional 25% reduction until they reach 34 years of age; those in a relationship receive a 50% reduction for two years. All TCC members purchasing more than five units receive a 10% lifetime discount on subscription rates. From January 2025, TCC members will receive 12-months of nil-cost membership on a trial basis. So the key message is the sooner officers join, the less they will pay during the course of their membership.
Unlike most commercial life assurance policies, death benefits are available for as long as the spouse or partner lives and there is no small print regarding cause of death.
Each unit of membership provides the following benefits:
- An immediate lump sum cash payment to the member’s registered spouse or partner. (This lump sum payment will be divided equally between eligible children under the age of 21, should a spouse die before or at the same time as the member.)
- For single members (i.e. no registered partner or dependent children) a half rate lump sum cash payment is made to either the deceased member’s estate or nominated non-dependent beneficiary(s), since they have paid in at a reduced subscription rate.
- Annuity payments for the lifetime of the registered spouse or partner.
- Annuity payments for each dependant child up to his/her 21st birthday.
Benefit rates are reviewed every three years as part of a wider actuarial review. All beneficiaries receive the benefits at the most current rate regardless of the level of subscriptions paid by the deceased member. This helps to maintain the market value of the benefits paid, important for beneficiaries in receipt of annuity payments over very long periods.
BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP
Features of the Society:
- Members pay in until 60 but are covered for life
- All forms of enduring relationship recognised (since October 2020)
- Very few strings attached (for example age, lifestyle, cause of death) unlike all commercial policies (including PAX)
- Number of dependent children does not impact subscription rates
- Benefits (currently £4,840 per unit tax free-lump sum and £545 per unit per annum lifetime payments – updated 1 January 2025) are reviewed periodically and increased when possible, but subscription rates are fixed to the original unit schedule signed up to
- Annuities paid for lifetime of registered spouse/partner and to 21st birthday for each dependent child
- Annuity payment benefits are relatively unusual and only apply to comparatively expensive commercial Whole of Life Insurance Policies
- Claims are honoured very swiftly and with minimal process
- Lady Grover’s Fund subscriptions paid for those beneficiaries who became members upon the death of their spouse/partner (see right)
- Membership supports The Samaritan Fund Charity which can provide assistance to the spouses or partners of any deceased RE officers
- The Society has members and beneficiaries worldwide serving as an informal network for serving and retired RE officers and their families
- Neither a pension fund nor an insurance company, the Society is able to minimise its overheads and maximise returns in investment portfolio
- Portfolio managed by an Investment Firm with both Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) and Socially Responsible Investment principles sitting at the heart of their investment analysis. Currently investments in firms with more than 5% income from tobacco, adult entertainment, alcohol and gambling have been excluded by the Council of Management.
EXAMPLE 1 – Single Subaltern (27)
A young unmarried Captain holding 5 units died in a car accident soon after returning from an operational tour in 2011. His estate received £10,000 and his family passed this amount onto his sister. Total subscriptions paid in: £112.
EXAMPLE 2 – Serving Major (35)
A serving Major died in 2011 aged 35 owning 5 units. Married less than a year, he had paid in a total of £850 in subscriptions. His wife received a lump sum payment of £20,000 and, as of 2025, around £25,000 worth of annuity payments. A further £110,000 (at the 2025 rate, however the benefit rate will increase every three years) will be paid out assuming she lives to the statistical average for REOWS beneficiaries.
EXAMPLE 3 – Retired Major (46)
A retired Major died aged 46, two children (16 & 12) having joined in 2002, purchasing 5 units. Having paid in £2,362 in subscriptions his spouse/partner was eligible for a £24,000 tax-free lump sum and annuity payments of around £110,000 (at 2025 rates, around £210,000 if inflated at 3% pa). The children would have received total annuity payments of around £40,000. Sadly this officer had resigned his membership six months before his death.
EXAMPLE 4 – Serving Lt Col (50)
A serving Lieutenant Colonel with a single unit died of cancer aged 50 in 1997. His widow is still in receipt of her annuity and his daughter received the same annuity for 11 years until she was 21. The annuity benefit rate was £300 in 1997 and had increased to £545 per unit per annum by 2025, with a total of £13,000 being paid out in annuities by 2025, and a further £10,000 likely to be paid out over future years. The lump sum was £2,750, however just £321 of subscriptions were paid in during the course of the member’s paying-in term.
EXAMPLE 5 – Retired Member (80)
A member bought 5 units in 1980 and paid in around £3,000 over the course of their membership. The lump sum pay out at 2025 rates is £24,200, compared to £750 when they joined – and this will continue to increase every three years or so. If they passed away aged at around 80 their spouse/partner would expect to receive around £40,000 in annuity payments (contrasting to around £9,000 at the 1980 rate).
Following death the REOWS will cover subscriptions for widow(er)s whose spouses were Lady Grover’s Fund members. This is worth up to £8,000 per annum and covers unexpected nursing costs as a consequence of illness and injury.
“I really wish I had joined the Society before I’d turned 34 and taken out 10 units; it didn’t seem important back then but now, compared to commercial products out there, this makes total sense – after all, it WILL pay out!”
REOWS MEMBER
“blessings to Dad for setting this up for Mum so many years ago!”
Daughter of REOWS Beneficiary (in New Zealand) following her mum’s death aged 95, Dec 2020
NEWS
Updates and publications from REOWS
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Important REOWS Updates
Benefit Rates. The Council is pleased to confirm that with effect 1 January 2025 REOWS benefit rates will increase by 10%. This increase will apply to both tax-free Lump Sums payable upon death and annuity payments to registered dependents (lifetime for spouse/partner and to the age of 21 for any dependent children). This increase is hot on he heels of the 10% increase in January 2022. This means Lump Sums will increase from the current £4,400 per unit to £4,840 per unit and annuity payments from £495 per unit per annum to £545 per unit per annum. (The half lump sum payable to the estates of Members with no registered dependents will increase from £2,200 to £2,420 per unit). All Beneficiaries already in receipt of annuities will benefit from both this and all future increases. Subscription Rates. Subscription rates for new Members (aged 34 and over) and Members purchasing additional unit are to be increased from 1 January 2025 (the first increase since 2014). Those thinking about joining or increasing their unit holdings should therefore consider doing so over the next few days (and certainly before reaching their 34 and 43 year thresholds when new units become more expensive). The new rates are posted here. Nominating Beneficiaries. For those Members without dependent beneficiaries it is now possible to nominate non-dependent beneficiaries to receive the half-lump sum in the event of your death. Please email secretary@reows.co.uk with your nomination(s) (name, date of birth, relationship and email) at the earliest opportunity. Do please apply via the website or email the Secretary at secretary@reows.co.uk.
25. Nov 2024
REOWS 2024 AGM Thu 21st Nov at 5pm Online
All Members and Beneficiaries are encouraged to attend this year’s AGM which will be held on MS Teams. In less than an hour you will hear a Society update, have a chance to ask any questions and, perhaps best of all, catch up with serving and ex-Sappers who you’ve maybe not seen in a long time. So a great networking opportunity, too. Importantly the exciting results of the review of benefit and subscription rates will be announced along with news regarding the nomination of non-dependent beneficiaries for single and/or widowed members. Do please register – it will take less than an hour of your time and it’s a cracking way to show support to your Society. Registration Link is here: Webinar registration | Microsoft Teams Click here for he Agenda: REOWS 2024 Agenda & Papers
29. Oct 2024
Switch to Direct Debit!
A reminder that the Society is migrating to subscription collection via Direct Debit (rather than via Standing Order) which places the onus on the Society rather than the Member to ensure your subscriptions are accurate. So for those Members who still pay in (under 60s) – if you haven’t already done so – please complete a mandate now here and the Secretary will take care of the rest. It takes two minutes! Ensure you cancel your existing standing order with your bank unless you plan on donating to the REOWS Samaritan Fund!
12. Oct 2023
AGM 2022 Minutes
Minutes from the AGM held on 16 November 2022 available at this link: https://www.reows.co.uk/minutes-accounts/
7. Dec 2022
Chair’s Annual Newsletter – 2022
Members and Beneficiaries are encouraged to take two minutes to read the Chair’s newsletter – available here
9. Nov 2022
Ensure your Long Term Relationship is Registered
Following adoption of the new Articles several Members have already registered their Long Term Partners in order to ensure they are covered in the event of death. The burden of proof rests with the Member and is based upon a relationship enduring for over 365 days with demonstrable shared parental responsibilities and/or financial interdependence. Please use the form here together with the requisite evidence to get registered.
23. Nov 2020
The REOWS Samaritan Fund £12,000 Support to RE Officer Dependents
This week saw the REOWS Samaritan Fund provide a six-monthly grant of just over £12,000 to dependents of deceased RE officers across the world. Thirteen recipients living in the UK, Zimbabwe, Spain, Australia and France received their biannual payment of around £1,000 each to relieve hardship . The Samaritan Fund is a registered charity which falls under the trusteeship of the REOWS Council of Management and is designed to assist those dependents whose souse or partner may not have been a member of the REOWS. The Samaritan Fund disburses around £30,000 each year in conjunction with a number of other service charities including the REA, Officers’ Association and the Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League.
30. Jun 2021
Lady Grover’s Fund Membership
Did you know that following death the REOWS will cover subscriptions for dependents whose late spouses/partners were Lady Grover’s Fund members? Do consider joining the LGF – subscription is only £50.75 for under 50s; and you must join before beneficiaries (your dependents) reach the age of 65. You can join during or post-Service. This is worth up to £8,000 per annum and covers unexpected nursing costs as a consequence of illness and injury. See https://www.ladygrover.org.uk/ This week this resulted in an REOWS beneficiary (already in receipt of annuity payments) living in South Africa being put in touch with the LGF in order to cover care costs. Scale of Benefits: (a) Nursing Home or Hospital Accommodation. The expense of temporary residence (including food and nursing care) in a hospital or nursing home. Up to £1694 per week (£242 per day). (b) Home Nursing. The expense of the temporary employment of a qualified nurse or carer. Up to £346.50 per week (£49.50 per day). (c) Convalescence. The expense of convalescence (including travelling expenses) under medical advice in an accepted establishment. Up to £346.50 per week (£49.50 per day). (d) Home Help. The expense of the temporary employment of domestic help. Up to £196.00 per week (£28 per day). Maximum Duration and Amount of Claims. A member is entitled to receive nursing benefits (a), (b) and (c) above in respect of up to eight weeks of illness (whether consecutive or otherwise) in any period of twelve months. However, in the case of Home Help, the maximum duration in a period of twelve months can be up to fifteen weeks, provided that the. claim does not exceed a maximum of £2,352.00. The maximum settlement payable to a member cannot exceed £8,000 in any period of twelve months
5. Mar 2021
New Articles & Rules!
New Articles of Association were adopted unanimously at the AGM on 15th October and the new Rules are now in place. The most significant change is that the Society will recognise all forms of enduring relationship. In line with the MoD’s application process for SFA, new and existing Members are now able to apply to have their partners and children covered having demonstrated when their relationship was formalised through the submission of appropriate evidence – for example, joint mortgage, bank accounts or, where applicable, children’s birth certificates and so on. The relevant form is available from the Secretary – please email him on secretary@reows.co.uk. The two documents are available here: https://www.reows.co.uk/rules/
16. Oct 2020
ABOUT THE SOCIETY
The Society was formed in 1785 by all 68 Officers of the Corps serving at the time. Over the years since then the Society has used the income generated by the subscriptions of Officer members to provide help for their families when they have died in combat or from other causes.
Today, the Society has some 800 members and there are nearly 100 beneficiary dependents receiving annuity payments in receipt of benefits. The Society’s Annuity fund has assets of around £8 million and the charitable Samaritan Fund has a further £0.5M.
The Society is managed by a Council, elected by members, consisting of serving and retired Royal Engineer Officers who receive no remuneration.
THE REOWS SAMARITAN FUND
The Council of Management of the Society are also Trustees of a separate Samaritan Fund, a registered Charity (No. 264432). This fund, which has assets of £500,000, exists to provide help for dependents of deceased RE officers who are in need, hardship or distress.
Working in conjunction with the Officers’ Association the Samaritan Fund currently provides regular support to some fifteen beneficiaries.
Over the years the Fund has benefited from legacies as well as from donations from Members and Widows. It is this Sapper generosity which enables the Trustees to continue with this aspect of the Society’s very valuable charitable work. You can donate here.
CONTACT US
Please address all correspondence and enquiries to the Society Secretary by using this form.
To join the Society as a member, please click here.
To update your membership details, please click here.
Primary Contact:
Secretary: Lt Col (Retd) Nick Mifsud
Tel: 07539 009741
Email: secretary@reows.co.uk
Address: Braeside Farm, Peat Inn, Cupar, Fife, KY15 5LH
Registered Office:
The Royal Engineers Officers’ Widows Society
c/o Regimental Headquarters Royal Engineers
Brompton Barracks
Chatham, Kent ME4 4UG
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