How We Help

If you’ve served in the Armed Forces or are the dependant or spouse of someone who has served, our services are available to help you.

Through flagship schemes such as the Women’s Section Allowance and the President’s Award Scheme, we provide specially tailored welfare support to hundreds of men, women and children within the Armed Forces community who are in financial hardship or in need of extra support.

We first began our welfare support in 1921, following the devastating aftermath of the First World War – it was very much a case of women wanting to do their bit and to carry on and assist, with a particular accent on widows, families and children.

Today, much of our focus is on financial welfare with allowances paid to help men and women who served or were married to a Serviceman or woman. We also provide educational scholarships for the children of eligible beneficiaries.

For more information about our welfare schemes, please click on the links to the left.

Please note: Those eligible for our support services can be summarised as people who are serving or who have served in the Armed Forces, as well as their dependants and carers. These groups of people fall into the following categories:

• Beneficiaries
• Dependants (which include children, spouses, partners and carers)

The office does not process any requests from applicants who live in Scotland permanently (not stationed). Please contact Poppy Scotland on 0131 557 2782 or visit their website www.poppyscotland.org.uk.

President’s Award Scheme

The President’s Award Scheme (PAS) offers two separate bursaries for eligible beneficiaries: Educational Scholarships and Educational Grants.

1. Educational Scholarships

Educational　Scholarships of up to £1,500 are availableto the dependants of current and former service personnel*. Dependant children applying for this scholarship must be 21 or under. Funding can only be considered for a first degree. No funding can be considered for Postgraduate or overseas studies.

Up to £1,500 may be awarded to beneficiaries and is usually granted towards the cost of university accommodation. The award may also be made towards the cost of books, travel/living costs, or other specific needs related to the course.

To qualify for an Educational Scholarship, applicants must meet the following criteria:

Be a dependant of a current or former serviceperson and 21 or under when making their initial application. However, funding can be provided until the age of 23 for existing recipients.

Be studying for their first Undergraduate degree.
Not studying a Postgraduate qualification and not studying overseas.

Be in financial hardship and have applied for full Student Loan, Grant, and/or other statutory assistance available.
Please download the PAS Scholarship Application Form here and the Application Guidance Notes here. If you have previously received the Scholarship and wish to apply for funding for the next academic year, please use this Scholarship Continuation Application Form.

2. Educational Grants

Educational grants of up to £500 are available to current and former service personnel, child dependants and spouses/partners* wishing to complete educational courses or re-training schemes. No funding can be considered for Postgraduate or overseas studies.

Up to £500 can be awarded towards costs associated with completing your course such as books, equipment, travel, and uniform. A grant towards course costs may be considered exceptionally by the Committee.

To apply for an Educational Grant, applicants must meet the following criteria:

Be the dependant child of a current or former serviceperson, or

Be ex-service personnel, or

Be the spouse/partner* of a Serving or ex-Serviceman or woman

Not be studying a Postgraduate qualification and not studying overseas.

Be in financial hardship and have applied for any statutory assistance available, e.g. Student Finance if applicable.
Please download the PAS Grant Application Form here and the Application Guidance Notes here

How to apply

If you think you meet the above criteria and you’d like to apply to this scheme, please download, complete, and sign the respective applications available in the links above. Please complete this application comprehensively, collate the evidence listed in the Section 8 Checklist of the forms, sign & date Section 9 and submit these documents in PDF or Word format to [email protected].

You can also return the application by post to ‘President’s Award Scheme (Grants), TRBL, 199 Borough High Street, London, SE1 1AA’. Please note that any applications and evidence sent by post are sent at your own risk and neither the Royal British Legion nor the RBL Women’s Section is to be liable for any items lost in transit.

If you have any queries or concerns, please contact the Royal British Legion’s Contact Centre on 0808 802 8080 who will pass your query to the appropriate person for response. Alternative contact options are available on the Contact Us page.

PLEASE NOTE:

• Applications under this scheme are approved by a Committee who meet three times a year, generally in January, July, and September. Please ensure that you return your applications by the 15th of the month before.
• The President’s Award Scheme is available to non commissioned ranks only.
• All applications are subject to assessment and approval of the Awards Committee, the Committee has full and final discretion to offer or decline to offer an award based on their assessment of each application.

Children’s Welfare Scheme

The Children’s Welfare Scheme offers grants to families and single parents towards the cost of essential items required by their children.

Small grants are awarded for items such as winter clothing, bedroom furniture and school uniform.

We also provide payment for children’s clubs such as Guides and Scouts as well as essential school trips.

To qualify for the Children’s Welfare Scheme, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• The child claimant must be a dependant of a Serving/ex-Serviceman or woman* (applications are also accepted from widows and divorced/separated spouses of Serving/ex-Service personnel provided they have not re-married and not in another cohabitating relationship)
• The child/children must be under the age of 16 unless they are in full-time education
• Parents/guardians must be on a low income or have other special circumstances for applying for the grant.
• The child must permanently reside with the parent/guardian

How to apply

If you think you meet the above criteria and you’d like to apply to this scheme, please contact the Royal British Legion on 0808 802 8080 or email them through their online contact form.

Letters of Thanks

I am writing to thank you for your wonderful support.  The financial assistance The Women’s Section has provided me over the years has kept me afloat as opposed to sinking, and made such a difference to my life. I thank you sincerely from the bottom of my heart.

Mrs Lovegrove, Sussex

Having recently finished my A Levels, I would like to thank you for the exceptional support you have given me throughout my secondary education. The quality of education that the scholarship has allowed me to enjoy has fundamentally affected my development as a young man.  It has provided me access to wonderful teachers who have helped inspire academic passion within me. It is that very support that has enabled me to secure a place to study Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Balliol College, Oxford.  The knowledge that your faith in me allowed this dream to become a reality is something I will never forget, and for which I am eternally grateful.

Daniel Turner, recipient of the President’s Award Scheme

I am so pleased that the Women’s Section Allowance will continue for another year.  I am so very grateful for this stipend as it helps me pay for my day-to-day living expenses, and with food and heating costs getting more expensive, it makes a big difference. With my husband wounded in the Second World War and unable to sustain an income, I have never had a lot of money – so I thank you sincerely for all the support you have provided me and continue to.

Mrs A Harrison, West Yorkshire

I would like to express my sincere thanks to all in The Women’s Section for awarding me with this bursary. It has meant that I have been able to concentrate fully on my studies and it has also given me the security of knowing that I am able to afford my weekly food bill, as my student loans leave very little to live on. Thank you all very much for you help.

James Wright, recipient of the President’s Award Scheme

Thank you for the support, kindness and generosity you have shown by paying for my TV license.  I was so touched it reduced me to tears. It has made a world of difference to me, more than you can know. Thank you.

Mrs S. Hooper, Torquay

What a lovely surprise to receive a card and gift on my 83rd birthday.  I do thank you and for the help you have given me and are still giving me.  It means a lot to me to know that I have some support as it isn’t easy living on state pension and benefits. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

J Littler, Wales