01/06/2026
War Widow(er) Pension
You may be entitled to a War Widow’s or Widower’s Pension if your wife, husband, or civil partner died as a result of their service in HM Armed Forces or during a time of war.
Your partner must have served before 6 April 2005, although you may still qualify if they later died from an illness or injury connected to their service.
Eligibility
You may be eligible if one of the following applies to your husband, wife, or civil partner:
* They died as a result of their service in HM Armed Forces before 6 April 2005.
* They were a civil defence volunteer or civilian, and their death was a result of the 1939–1945 war.
* They were a merchant seaman, a member of the naval auxiliary services, or a coastguard, and their death resulted from an injury or illness sustained during wartime or while being held as a prisoner of war.
* They died as a result of service as a member of the Polish Forces under British command during the 1939–1945 war, or in the Polish Resettlement Forces.
* They were receiving a War Pensions Constant Attendance Allowance at the time of death, or would have been receiving it had they not been in hospital.
* They were receiving a War Disablement Pension assessed at 80% or more, together with an Unemployability Supplement.
You may also qualify if you were living with your partner as husband and wife, or as civil partners.
Illness, injury, or death on or after 6 April 2005
If your partner was injured, developed an illness, or died as a result of service on or after 6 April 2005, you may need to make a claim through the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.
Payment rates
The amount of War Widow’s or Widower’s Pension paid depends on your age and personal circumstances.
This pension is tax-free.
All pensions, benefits, and allowances are paid directly into an account, such as your bank account.
How to claim
To claim a War Widow’s or Widower’s Pension, you can either:
* Download a claim form, or
* Contact the Veterans UK helpline and request a claim form.
Completed forms should be sent to:
Veterans UK
Norcross
Thornton-Cleveleys
Lancashire
FY5 3WP
How to appeal
If you disagree with a decision regarding your claim, you may appeal to an independent Pensions Appeal Tribunal.
Before appealing, you should:
* Ask Veterans UK for further information on how the decision was made.
* Request that the decision be reconsidered if there were relevant facts not available when the original decision was reached.
Changes in your circumstances
You will continue to receive your pension if you marry, enter into a civil partnership, or begin living with a partner on or after 1 April 2015.
If this occurred before 1 April 2015, you may still continue receiving your pension if both of the following apply:
* Your late spouse or civil partner left service before 31 March 1973.
* Your new relationship began on or after 6 April 2005.
If these conditions were not met, your pension would have stopped.
If your pension has stopped
You may be able to reclaim your pension if:
* You become widowed again
* You divorce or separate
* Your civil partner dies
* Your civil partnership ends
* You stop living with your partner
You must inform Veterans UK of any changes in your circumstances to ensure you receive the correct pension amount.
Funeral expenses
Veterans UK may provide a grant of up to £2,200 towards a veteran’s funeral if any of the following apply:
* The death was due to service before 6 April 2005
* A War Pensions Constant Attendance Allowance was being paid, or would have been paid if the war pensioner had not been in hospital at the time of death
* An Unemployability Supplement was being paid at the time of death, and the War Disablement Pension had been assessed at 80% or more
The payment may be made to:
* The veteran’s widow or widower
* Their next of kin
* The person responsible for paying the funeral costs
Claims must be made within three months of the funeral.
How to apply for funeral expenses
Download and complete the claim form, then send it to:
Veterans UK
Norcross
Thornton-Cleveleys
Lancashire
FY5 3WP
