Society is changing fast. A generation ago, the career woman was a novelty. Today she is the norm.

Over the same period, Britain's population has begun to age. And it will grow older still as we journey into the Millennium.

These twin factors have left our pension laws looking distinctly out-dated. They discriminate against people on the basis of age and sex.

Britain's position is being challenged in the European courts on two counts. Retired Norton postman John Taylor recently won the right to challenge the Government's ruling that winter fuel payments are paid to women aged 60 but not to men until they are 65.

And a York widower is also seeking European justice after he was denied the allowance that he would have been granted had he been a woman.

Frank Healy's wife Linda died four years ago, leaving him to bring up children Scott and Stuart alone. If he had died, Linda would have been able to claim the widowed mothers' allowance worth more than £80 a week.

But there is no such thing as a widowed fathers' allowance. So Mr Healy is left without what would be crucial extra financial assistance.

This is clearly unfair. But the last Government stubbornly refused to look again at the issue, despite being lobbied hard by York MP Hugh Bayley.

The Labour administration has not been so intransigent. Encouraged perhaps by the fact that the European court was likely to rule against Britain, ministers are preparing to extend the widows' pension to widowers.

On the face of it this is excellent news. But certain points need clarification before Mr Healy cracks open the champagne.

To offset the £250 million cost of the move, ministers propose to means-test the benefit. If this is done with sensitivity, it need not be controversial - there is no reason to pay a benefit to the obviously well-off.

Ministers have made it clear that such means-testing would not apply retrospectively. This raises fears that they might restrict the new allowance to future widowers only.

That would merely remove one injustice and replace it with another. The Government must move to reassure existing widowers like Mr Healy that they will receive the new benefit.

The wrangles over both the widows' pension and winter fuel payments expose the mess that Britain's pension laws are in. It is time for a complete overhaul of this area of legislation. Meanwhile, Mr Healy deserves great credit for taking on the Government. This is not a case of widows' mite but a widower's might.

see NEWS 'Widowers poised for ruling on pensions'

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