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How We Can Help

The Royal British Legion's Women's Section operates a number of schemes, benefits and other services for all those who qualify for its support.

Women's Section allowance

The Women's Section Allowance is a weekly allowance granted to those who meet the criteria listed below:

Widows of ex-Servicemen
Ex-Servicewomen
Divorced wives of ex-Servicemen
In receipt of either Income Support, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit
Live alone
Aged over 60, or under 60 but in receipt of a disability benefit.

Those under 75 can also apply for their TV Licenses to be paid for by the Women's Section. Please contact us using the details below to find out more.

Welfare Breaks

We have a database of hotels and guest-houses that have been recommended to us and where we can support a period of one or two weeks' convalescence to women and men experiencing pre- or post-hospitalisation or have recently suffered the bereavement of a close relative. Consideration will also be give to exceptional circumstances.

As of 2006 onwards, an extension of the Welfare Breaks currently only available in the UK and Northern Ireland is now being piloted to Sol Andalusi, a therapeutic resort in Andalusia, Spain. Please contact us on the details below for more information.

Children's welfare

Our Children's Fund provides assistance for children in two main ways:

Welfare Grants - these are awarded for any needs a child may have. Usually these are for clothing, school uniforms, books, bedding and furniture.
Child Allowance - in certain special cases a weekly allowance can be awarded to the child of an ex-Service person or a dependant of an ex-Service person.

Welfare grants

The Women's Section no longer offer grants for adults, but can refer people to their local Royal British Legion office, who may be able to offer assistance. To find out the help on offer, click here.

President's Award Scheme

This scheme was named in honour of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, who was President at the time of its launch.

The scheme has two main aims:

to provide Educational Sponsorship by way of educational grants and scholarships to ex-Servicewomen and their dependants. Assistance is awarded to those seeking first degrees, and grants are awarded towards re-training programmes, books, travel costs and other related costs.
to offer Family Breaks for ex-Service families which may include a disabled member, with particular emphasis on providing respite for child carers.

Also, new for 2007, the Women's Section is seeking to financially support the training of London 2012 Summer Olympic hopefuls. The criteria are as follows:

It would be preferable that potential candidates be female, as statistics show that it is female athletes who have more difficulty securing funding for sports. However, male candidates will be considered.
Candidates must have a direct military Service connection either as an ex-Service person, through a spouse/civil partner or, if a child, through the parents. Grandparents will only be considered if they have established legal guardianship.
Candidates should have real potential in their sporting field and the ability to endure the rigours of training in the years running up to the 2012 Olympics.

Who can apply?

Ex-Service women
Wives and widows of ex-Servicemen
Dependants of an ex-Serviceman or woman
Dependants of a couple including one ex-Serving member where the couple may now be separated

Family Breaks

Rest and recuperation is vital for mothers and children - especially in cases of disability. Young carers can also benefit from such respite breaks.

Who can apply?

One parent families with dependent children who have no hope of having leisure time together
One parent families with children with a disability requiring family break
Disabled single person with dependent children requiring family break
Young carers looking after dependants, parents or siblings who are in need of a family break

Contact Us

For more information on any of the above schemes, or to find our if you qualify, please contact us:

Email: Women's Section

Tel:+44 (0)20 7973 7225

The Royal British Legion
Women's Section
48 Pall Mall
London SW1Y 5JY

Case study

"I have been a member of the Women's Section since 1953, serving at branch and County level as an officer and also as a welfare visitor.

Thank you all at the Women's Section for your financial help and support which has made a real difference to us as a family and improved our quality of life.

Following my husband's death, I was left with just my pension to live on. Since my outgoings included ground rent, service charge and insurance of our house I was finding it a great struggle to make ends meet.

Fortunately my difficult financial situation came to the attention of the Women's Section Welfare Advisor. She suggested that I apply for the Women's Section Allowance and 3 weeks later I heard that I had been granted the £12 per week allowance.

On top of this the National Welfare Officer contacted other charities to see if they would contribute to pay off a debt for a new central heating system which I had had to have installed. As I write, I heard from the Women's Section that they have managed to almonise £1,500.00 from several different charities to help me pay for this.

I cannot thank the Women's Section enough for the help and support they have given me. "