The loss of any family member is always very hard to cope with but we understand that it can be particularly difficult for those who lose a loved one whilst serving in the Army.
In the event of a serving person’s death whilst with their family, the family should inform the unit.
If the serving person dies whilst on holiday, the family need to let the Army know by calling the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC).
You may also find these sources of information helpful:
What to do when someone dies: Step by Step
Tell us Once Service
Once the Army is aware of the death of a serving person, the Bereavement Aftercare Support (BAS) team will inform the local regional organisation to ensure that a Casualty Notification Officer (CNO) is sent to visit the next of kin. Their job is to inform the family of the difficult news of a serving person’s death.
Sometimes it may be that the local police may visit the family to inform them but the Army will then send the CNO as soon as possible.
Once the CNO has informed the family, they are replaced by the Visiting Officer (VO), who will be the single point of contact between the family and the Army during this difficult time. They will help, advise and support the family.
They may be from the same part of the Army as the serving person or from a more local unit.
The Padre, or appropriate faith leader, can also provide support and help to the family, if wished.
As part of the VO’s support for the family, they will provide them with the Purple Pack, which provides guidance for families through the practical elements of bereavement, such as funerals, entitlements and benefits, as well as providing links to further support networks.
The VO can help organise the funeral. Funerals can be held at public expense. Costs, such as the order of service, flowers, second cars and a newspaper announcement, would not be covered but support for these costs could be met by the grant from the Army Dependants’ Trust (see below for more information).
After the funeral, the family can also access funding of £1000 to assist with further related costs, such as travel to memorial events.
Within 48 hours, a welfare manager from Veterans UK will contact the VO to arrange an appointment with the family to explain more about their financial entitlements, both state and military. They will take into account when is the right time for the family to speak to them.
They can provide information on the Armed Forces pension, compensation and other entitlements.
The Army Dependants’ Trust is a charity which provides discretionary cash grants to dependants/next of kin of soldiers who die in Service, from whatever cause, to relieve immediate financial hardship to the member’s family.
If the serving partner was a member, the family could receive up to £15,000. This is free from tax and available immediately to help the family with any short-term debt (credit cards, car finance) or ongoing expenses, such as mortgage payments, or with additional funeral costs. The trust is automatically notified of a member’s death and takes all the necessary action.
The serving person can sign up via their Unit Admin Office and pay a £8.75 per year donation, which is deducted automatically from their January pay.
For more details, contact them on 01980 615734.
JCCC is the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre. They manage British Armed Forces casualties and compassionate cases and are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. They will liaise with the BAS.
Back to topThere is no immediate urgency to vacate the SFA and families will be given the time and space to assess their longer-term housing requirements.
If you live in the UK
Following the death in Service of the Service person, the spouse/civil partner should be offered an entitlement to stay in their SFA/SSFA for up to two years in order to help them consider where they wish to live. Their final removal costs will also be paid.
If the spouse wishes to move closer to an immediate family member or child’s school within 12 months of the bereavement, then they can apply to move. They will be housed in SFA/SSFA as close as possible to their specified location within a 50-mile radius and will continue to pay entitled rental rates. Removals and Disturbance Expense will also be paid.
They will pay SFA charges for the type and band of SFA they live in (the charges may increase in line with a CAAS transition pathway or the annual charge review) and CILOCT charges may be reduced by 25% for single occupancy.
If you live overseas
Many spouses will wish to return to UK as soon as possible after bereavement to be with relatives and friends, in order to ease both the grieving process and the transition back into the civilian community. If they choose to do this, they would be entitled to be relocated at public expense (removals and Disturbance Expense paid). They will be entitled to SFA/SSFA in the UK in a preferred area of their choice, which may be within 50 miles of either the home of an immediate member of their family or child’s school.
When the family returns to the UK, they will be offered the option to stay in SFA/SSFA for a two-year period to enable them to determine their longer-term housing requirements and will pay entitled rates (as for UK above).
For more details, please see JSP 464, Volume 1, Annex B to Chapter 3
Please see the Civilian Housing page for more details on how to apply for social housing. The VO can also assist with any application. The Army will pay for any removal costs.
Back to topFamilies would not be entitled to begin a new claim for CEA.
Existing CEA will continue to be paid up to the end of the current stage of education or for up to two full terms after the term in which the death occurred, whichever is the longest.
If the child is already studying for public examinations, CEA will continue to be paid for up to 4 years or to the end of the term in which the child takes the examination and then leaves school, whichever is soonest.
Armed Forces Bereavement Scholarship
If the serving parent died whilst serving in the Armed Forces and their death was deemed to be attributable to their Service, and the child is post-GCSE and moving into further or higher education, they may be eligible for the Armed Forces Bereavement Scholarship.
Armed Forces Education Trust
The Armed Forces Education Trust provides grants, which families may be eligible to apply for.
Army Widows Association
Visit www.armywidows.org.uk/support/childrens-education
There are a number of charities and support organisations that can offer children support during this difficult time:
Scotty’s Little Soldiers
Child Bereavement UK
Winston’s Wish
Childhood Bereavement Network
Child Bereavement UK – Scotland Development Projects
Cruse – children and young people in Wales
Young Minds
In the event of the death of a Service person the Service person’s child(ren) who are in receipt of WAC would remain eligible for six weeks from the date on which the Service person died. The amount and method of payment will be determined on a case by case basis as casework by the WACIPT. Families wishing to understand this in greater detail would be urged to contact the WAC team directly at PEOPLE-AFFS-WAC-FRO-mailbox@mod.gov.uk
There will be no new entitlement for any child(ren) who are not already in receipt of WAC when the Service person died.
Back to topA welfare manager from Veterans UK will be able to provide detailed information about financial entitlements, state and military. They can also liaise with the Army Personnel Centre about pensions.
Spouses would be eligible to resettlement courses and transfer of learning credits unused by the serving person.
The financial support that families may be entitled to may vary depending on the individual circumstances. Below are a number of support agencies and information:
It is normal to go through the various stages of grief, such as shock, sadness, anger and guilt when bereaved.
The VO can offer support and signpost the family to support agencies.
The NHS website has some very useful information about this.
The local GP or hospice can also offer support and access to counselling.
There are several organisations that can support families through their bereavement and grief:
For support with children’s bereavement and grief contact Winston’s Wish.
There are various information sites and groups that can assist:
JCCC and BAS will have responsibility for informing the family. However, if the Service person was in a defence engagement role in a remote location, and was accompanied on their posting by their spouse/civil partner, it may be the Defence section of the nearest British Embassy or High Commission that notifies them.
There is no different policy for overseas locations. However, some consideration may be given to local rules and regulations regarding coroners, civilian policy and funeral directors.
If a Service person died when overseas, the local chain of command would hold a multi-agency meeting to support the family and assist their return to the UK.
The family would be supported in determining when they return to the UK. For some families, they will wish to return at the earliest opportunity. For others, they may wish to remain overseas for slightly longer if they felt supported by their local community and to provide educational stability for their children. However, the entitlement to remain overseas may be affected by local overseas immigration regulations and it would be best for families to speak to their local chain of command.
If the Service person dies whilst on Service or assigned overseas, the MOD has a responsibility to repatriate the body back to the UK.
If the Service person dies on leave whilst outside the country where they are stationed, the MOD will not fund the repatriation. Service personnel and families should ensure that they have appropriate travel insurance at all times.
Back to topAll the information for Foreign & Commonwealth families can be found on this section of our website: aff.org.uk/advice/foreign-commonwealth/visas/#bereaved-partners-children
“I truly appreciate the work that you all do.”
“Thank you for all the guidance and support. You have been amazing.”
“Your professionalism in this matter was more than welcoming”
Find out more