War Widow's Pension: rates and who can claim

Who can claim a War Widow's Pension

A surviving spouse or civil partner can claim where the death was caused or hastened by service, and where that service falls before 6 April 2005. That date is the hard border in this system. Deaths linked to service on or after 6 April 2005 are dealt with under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme instead, which pays survivors' guaranteed income payments rather than a war widow's pension.

A claim can also succeed where the member was already receiving a War Pension at a high rate at the time of death, even if the death itself had another immediate cause. Unmarried partners who were living as a spouse may be able to claim a separate means-tested award, which is capped at 185.80 pounds a week from April 2026.

Entitlement is decided by Veterans UK on the individual facts, including the medical history and the accepted condition. If you are unsure whether a death qualifies, it is worth making the claim rather than assuming it will fail, because the assessment turns on evidence that Veterans UK holds.

War Widow's Pension rates from April 2026

These are the other ranks weekly rates effective from the payday in the week beginning 6 April 2026, uprated by the September 2025 CPI figure of 3.8%. The award depends on your age and on whether you have dependent children.

A widow under 40 with children receives the standard rate of 188.15 pounds a week. Where children are counted individually the rate rises: 217.70 pounds with one child, 250.60 pounds with two, and 283.50 pounds with three. A widow under 40 with no children receives 45.07 pounds a week.

From 65 the rate steps up to 209.65 pounds a week, then to 229.35 pounds from 70 and 249.40 pounds from 80. Where National Insurance additions apply at 80 the rate is 249.65 pounds. These uprate every April in line with the previous September's CPI, the same mechanism that drives the War Pension rates.

Children's allowances and age allowances

Children's allowances are paid on top of the widow's pension. From April 2026 the first child attracts 29.55 pounds a week and the second 32.90 pounds. An infirm child aged 18 or over attracts up to 144.65 pounds a week. Where a child is not being maintained by a surviving parent the rate is 33.80 pounds, and for children who have lost both parents it is 33.80 pounds for the first and 36.95 pounds for each subsequent child.

A separate age allowance is paid to the widow from 65: 21.50 pounds a week between 65 and 70, 41.20 pounds from 70, and 61.25 pounds from 80. There is also a rent allowance of up to 70.80 pounds a week, and a supplementary pension of 125.87 pounds a week for pre-1973 widows, which recognises the less generous terms that applied before that date.

How officers' widows are paid

Officers' widows are paid a yearly rate rather than a weekly one, and the rate depends on the rank the member held. On the current tables the rates run from 9,867 pounds a year, for a warrant officer or commissioned officer on the branch list, up to 11,587 pounds for the most senior ranks. In weekly terms that is roughly 189 to 209 pounds.

Under the MOD attributable arrangements the higher rate, paid to a widow over 40 or a widow under 40 with children, is 9,817.67 pounds a year, and the lower rate for a widow under 40 with no children is 2,351.75 pounds. Eligible children attract 1,541.92 pounds for the first and 1,716.72 pounds for each subsequent child.

Because the officer rates are rank-specific and the tables are long, the figure that applies to your case should be confirmed with Veterans UK rather than read across from a general table.

How this differs from the AFPS survivor pension

These are two different things and it matters not to confuse them. The War Widow's Pension is compensation, paid because service caused or hastened a death. The AFPS survivor pension is part of the member's own service pension, paid because they built up pension rights through their career, and it is worked out as a proportion of what they had earned.

You may be entitled to both, from two different schemes, assessed separately. If you are dealing with an estate it is worth checking both routes rather than assuming one excludes the other. Our survivor pension guide covers the AFPS side, and the survivor pension calculator will give you an estimate of that part.

The War Widow's Pension is tax-free, as the rest of the War Pension Scheme is. The AFPS survivor pension is taxable as income in the normal way.

How to claim

Claims go to Veterans UK, which administers the War Pension Scheme. The helpline for War Pensions and compensation is 0808 1914 218, open 8am to 4pm Monday to Friday, and the full set of contact routes is on our War Pension contact page.

Have the member's service details and the death certificate available, along with any medical evidence linking the death to the accepted condition. If a War Pension was already in payment, quote the reference, because it speeds up the assessment considerably.

This is an independent education site and not affiliated with the MOD or Veterans UK. The figures here are the published April 2026 rates, but the award for an individual case is decided by Veterans UK.