A War Widow(er) Pension is a compensatory payment to the widow(er) and/or child(ren) of a veteran who died as a result of eligible war service.

A widow(er) can apply for this pension where they were legally married to, or in a de facto relationship with, an Australian veteran immediately before the veteran's death. To be eligible, the applicant must also not have since re-married or commenced a new de facto relationship, although a recipient of a war widow(er) pension can continue to receive the pension if they subsequently remarry or enter into a de facto relationship [Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 (Cth) s 13(8)].

For a child to be eligible for this pension, they must be a natural or adopted child of the veteran, and aged either under 16 years of age, or under 25 years of age if they are undertaking full time study.

In certain circumstances, the War Widow(er) Pension will be paid automatically without regard to whether the veteran's death was as a result of war service or eligible war service. Such circumstances include where the veteran was an ex-prisoner of war, or was receiving a disability pension at a special rate, for example.

In other circumstances, a person must apply for the War Widow(er) Pension by completing the relevant claim form, which can be obtained by contacting the Department of Veterans' Affairs on 1800 555 254 or via the Department of Veterans' Affairs website.

For more information see the Department of Veterans' Affairs Factsheet DP60 - War Widow(er)'s Pension.

War Widow(er) Pension claims are determined by officers of the Department of Veterans' Affairs, who have been delegated the authority to make such determinations by the Repatriation Commission. The Repatriation Commission is empowered under the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 (Cth) to make decisions relating to veteran's entitlements.

A decision relating to a War Widow(er) Pension can be reviewed - see Review by the Veterans' Review Board.