UK Benefit Guide
Home | UK Benefit Guide |War Widow’s Pension is a pension paid to widows or widowers and children of someone killed in the Armed Forces or who died later as a result of injury in the Armed Forces.
You may be entitled to it if you are you the widow of:
Someone killed in the Armed Forces or who died later as a result of injury in the Armed Forces.
Someone who was a civil defence volunteer or civilian and who died as a result of the 1939-45 war.
Someone who was a merchant seaman, a member of the naval auxiliary services, or a coastguard and whose death was a result of an injury or disease obtained during a war or because he was a prisoner of war.
Someone who died as a result of their service as a member of the Polish Forces under British command during the 1939-45 war, or in the Polish Resettlement Forces.
Someone who was getting War Pensioner’s Constant Attandance Allowance (see War Disability Pension) or would have been had he not been in hospital.
Someone who was getting Unemployability Supplement (see War Disability Pension) and was 80% or more disabled.
If YES to one, claim War Widow’s Pension.
You may be entitled to a War Widow’s Pension if you lived with a war pensioner as his wife and looked after his child.
You cannot receive a War Widow’s Pension as well as a Social Security Widow’s Benefit, but the War Widow’s Pension is usually paid at a higher rate.
You may receive a supplementary pension if your husband was discharged from HM Armed Forces on or before 31 March 1973.
If you remarry or live with another man as his wife, your War Widow’s Pension will stop but you may still be able to receive allowances for your children.
If you become widowed again, or your marriage ends in divorce or judicial separation, or if you stop living with the man as his wife, you may be entitled to claim your War Widow’s Pension again.
The rules for War Widow’s Pension mean that your individual circumstances may affect the amount you get. This means you will not always be able to work out exactly how much you will get.
The amount paid depends on the rank of the person who has died and the age of the widow. Contact the War Pensions Agency on the address below for leaflet 9, which details rates of War Pensions and allowances.
If you are elegible, claim straight away. If you delay you may lose money.
Contact the War Pensions Agency for a claim form:
By telephone: the Freeline 0800 169 22 77 (or textphone 0800 169 34 58) is open from 8.15am to 5.15pm Monday to Thursday; and from 8.15am to 4.30pm on Friday. If you are calling from overseas, dial +44 1253 866043
By post: War Pensions Agency, Norcross, Blackpool FY5 3WP
By email: warpensions@gtnet.gov.uk.
Before filling in the form, check you are applying for everything you may be entitled to.
You can also contact the War Pensioners’ Welfare Service. For your nearest office, look in the telephone book under War Pensions Agency.
Most ex-service organisations will be able to offer you help and advice on completing claim forms.
If you already receive a War Widow’s Pension, you may be entitled to additional allowances.
If you are a war widower, you may be entitled to War Widower’s Pension.
For more information contact the War Pensions Agency at the address above or via email, or telephone the War Pensions Freeline on 0800 169 22 77. If you are calling from overseas, dial + 44 1253 886043.