Guidance

Tell us about a change in circumstances

How to report a change in circumstances during or after making a claim for compensation or a pension.

Important information

You must let us know about any changes in your circumstances so that we can make sure that you are getting the right amount of money.

If you are overpaid, you will be expected to pay back the amount overpaid and your payments may be stopped if you don’t report a change straight away or you give incorrect information.

War Pension, War Widows or Widowers Pension and Supplementary Allowances

Failure to comply with a request for information.
If you we request information regarding your payments under the War Pensions Scheme and you fail to provide the requested information, your payments may be suspended or cancelled.

You must contact Veterans UK immediately if there is a change to your personal details, including change of name, address, telephone number or bank/building society account. If you are not sure if we need to know about something that has changed, please tell us anyway.
Contact details are located at the bottom of this page.
Please do not use email to tell us about changes of personal details.

If you have a War Pension, you must tell us immediately if:

  • there is any improvement or deterioration to your health
  • you are sentenced to any term of imprisonment, or
  • you receive any other compensation for your disablement.

If you get Supplementary Allowances or a War Widows Pension, you must also tell us about the changes listed below: (we use spouse to mean a person you live with who is your husband, wife or civil partner, or a person you live with as if you are a married couple).

Supplementary Allowances only Customer Spouse Children
You remarry, form a civil partnership or start living with a partner as husband and wife   X    
You go into a hospital, care home or similar accommodation run by the NHS or local authority   X X X
You start work or there is a change to your earnings/income which includes changes to the hours you work, promotion, regular overtime and bonuses   X X X
You stop working   X X X
Supplementary Allowances and/or War Widows Pension        
You start to get any other benefit, pension or allowance for the Department for Work and Pensions   X X X
You start to get any Social Security Benefit including State pension, Attendance Allowance, Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Income Support, Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or Statutory Sick Pay   X X X
You start paid or vocational training   X X X
You change your living arrangements, which includes the spouse and/or children you get an allowance for, stop living with you, get married, divorce or die   X X X
You are over the age of 16 and change/leave school, college or university for 3 months because of illness       X
You are over the age of 16 but still attend school, college or university on a full time basis       X
War Widows Pension        
If you have War Widows Pension Rent Allowance, and there is a change in the amount of money you pay in rent, mortgage or council tax. You must also tell us if there is a change in the amount of money you get from anyone who is living with you   X   X

Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS)

If you have received or do receive payments from the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS), you must tell Equiniti (EQ) about any changes to your personal details, such as your name, address or bank/building society details.

Contact Veterans UK if you have been awarded an AFCS Guaranteed Income Payment (GIP) and:

  • you have since left service or been discharged (If you have been medically discharged from the armed forces, you do not need to contact us.)
  • your Armed Forces Pension tier level changes
  • your deferred pension starts being paid
  • you get divorced and a pension sharing order is put in place
  • there are any changes to your pension (we do not need to know if your pension is uprated).

Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS)

If you have an Armed Forces Pension, you must tell Equiniti (EQ) if you change your name, address, bank or building society details.

What to do when a service person or veteran dies

Information about emotional and practical support available for bereaved families and loved ones from government departments and approved charities.

Contact details

Veterans UK
Norcross
Thornton-Cleveleys
Lancashire
FY5 3WP

Veterans UK Helpline
UK only: (freephone) 0808 1914 218
Overseas: +44 1253 866 043
Email: veterans-uk@mod.gov.uk

Equiniti
Equiniti Armed Forces Helpline: 0345 1212 514
Email: veteransukpensions@equiniti.com

This guidance provides general information only. Every effort has been made to ensure that the information is accurate, but it is not a full and authoritative statement of the law. The scheme rules are the authoritative document.

Published 20 February 2020