The "Forgotten Widows" are a group of women who were barred from receiving any compensation after the death of their United States Military spouses. As a result of the Survivor Benefit Plan being passed in the late 1970s, spouses of servicemembers who died before the act was put into effect were cut off from receiving any aid from the military. The number of Forgotten Widows still alive is estimated to be in the thousands. Nearly 800 widows applied for compensation upon the relaxing of the Benefit Plan rules in 2001, with 550 applications approved.