Support after a service-related bereavement
Practical, financial, and emotional support after the death of a service person or veteran.
[CLIENT TO REVIEW] Placeholder content.
You're not on your own
Losing someone who served — whether on operations, in service, or as a veteran years later — comes with its own weight and its own paperwork. There is dedicated support for bereaved military families, and you don't have to navigate it alone.
Practical first steps
- Register the death (within 5 days in England/Wales, 8 in Scotland).
- Notify Veterans UK if there's a War Pension or AFCS award in payment.
- Notify the service pension scheme administrator.
- Contact your local Visiting Officer if one was assigned.
Financial support you may be entitled to
- AFCS Survivor's Guaranteed Income Payment — for spouses, civil partners, and eligible cohabitees.
- War Pensions Widow's/er's pension.
- Bereavement Support Payment from DWP.
These can take months to flow. Many military charities provide emergency grants in the meantime — ask us.
Emotional support
Cruse Bereavement Care has specialist veterans' bereavement services. The War Widows' Association offers peer support. Scotty's Little Soldiers supports bereaved military children.
Where to go next
Bring everything — letters, pension paperwork, the lot — and we'll help you work out what to tackle first. Talk to us →
Still need help?
Speak to a trained advisor. Free, confidential, and judgement-free — for anyone who has served, is serving, or is family of someone who has.