War widows’ pensions

If a member of the armed forces dies due to their service their surviving spouse or another partner might receive a pension as compensation.

These payments could change if the surviving partner gets married again, enters a civil partnership, or starts living with someone else. The rules around these payments have changed over time resulting in a complicated picture.

Deaths due to service from 6 April 2005

The armed forces compensation scheme covers injuries, illnesses or deaths caused by service in the armed forces on or after 6 April 2005. Surviving partners still receive payments even if they remarry, enter a civil partnership, or start living with a new partner.

Deaths due to service before 6 April 2005

For deaths caused by service before 6 April 2005, surviving partners may receive a pension from the armed forces pension scheme 1975 and a compensation award. Compensation awards include:

• A war widow’s or widower’s pension from the war pensions scheme
• Payments for surviving partners from the armed forces attributable benefits scheme

Changes to survivors’ pensions

Initially, both the war pensions scheme and the attributable benefits scheme stopped payments if surviving partners remarried or started cohabiting with a new partner. These rules have changed over time:

• War widows or widowers whose spouse died after 31 March 1973, and whose pension was withdrawn due to remarriage or cohabitation, could have it restored if their new partner died, or the relationship ended.
• Since 31 October 2000, the armed forces attributable benefits scheme pays pensions for life, even if the surviving partner remarries, enters a civil partnership or starts cohabiting with another person. This change did not apply to people who had remarried or started cohabiting before this date. However, the scheme could restore their pension if their new partner died or the relationship ended.
• After 6 April 2005, war widows or widowers whose spouse died before 31 March 1973 could keep their war widow or widower’s pension even if they remarried, entered a civil partnership, or started cohabiting with another person. However, those who remarried or began cohabiting before this date did not regain their pension.
• Everyone receiving a survivors’ pension, whether under the War Pensions Scheme or the armed forces attributable benefits scheme, who remarried, formed a civil partnership, or started cohabiting after 1 April 2015, can keep their pension.

The change introduced on 1 April 2015 did not apply to those who had already given up a war widow or widower’s pension due to remarriage, civil partnership, or cohabitation.

War widows’ recognition payment scheme

In May 2023, the then Minister for Defence People, Veterans, and Service Families, Dr Andrew Murrison, announced a new scheme for those who lost their war widows pension due to remarriage or cohabitation before the 2015 rules change. Under this scheme, eligible widows and widowers received a one-time, tax-exempt payment of £87,500.