When a soldier of Haryana lays down his life for the country — in the Army, Navy or Air Force, killed in action during a declared war — his widow already receives a family pension from the Government of India, and the Government of Haryana pays her a separate monthly financial assistance on top of it. That is the “Financial Assistance to War Widows of Defence Forces” scheme. The assistance was fixed at Rs 3,000 a month in 2016, and the same memo wrote in an annual increase of Rs 400 — by that rule the rate works out to Rs 7,000 a month from 1 November 2026. Note — the Rs 7,000 figure is a calculation from the memo’s escalation rule, not a new memo; confirm the current rate in writing from the Zila Sainik Board.
Before going further, clear the biggest confusion — this is NOT the Rs 600-a-month ex-servicemen assistance (guide 7743). That assistance goes only to those receiving no pension at all; this assistance is exactly the opposite — it goes to a war widow who is already receiving a family pension, on top of it. Nor is it the Rs 3,200-a-month widow pension (guide 6019) — that pension is not given to women who receive a family pension.
Scheme at a Glance
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Scheme name | Financial Assistance to War Widows of Defence Forces; myScheme Haryana list entry #16 |
| Implementing agency | Sainik & Ardh Sainik Welfare Department, Haryana (Rajya Sainik Board), Sector-12, Panchkula |
| Benefit | Monthly financial assistance — in addition to the family pension from the Government of India |
| Rate (November 2026) | Rs 7,000 a month — calculated from the Rs 400-a-year escalation rule in memo dated 29.10.2016; confirm the current rate at the ZSB |
| Who gets it | The widow of a Defence Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force) personnel killed in action during a declared war |
| Pension condition | Must already be receiving a family pension from the Government of India — this assistance is paid on top of it |
| How to apply | Online — Antyodaya SARAL portal (“Financial Assistance to war widows of Defence Forces” service); offline — Zila Sainik Board office |
| Last date | None — applications are accepted throughout the year |
| Budget head | 2235-SSW-60-OSSWP-200-OP-(76)-09-GIA, Demand No. 22 (Non-Plan) |
| 2024-25 budget | Rs 1.34 crore; Rs 95.94 lakh spent till 18 February 2025 (department’s budget statement) |
How Much Assistance Will You Get? — The Full Rate History
The rate did not stay fixed after it was set — the 2016 memo itself wrote in an annual increase. The table below shows the rate for each year; the rates after 2017 are calculated from the memo’s rule (Rs 400 increase every year).
| From | Rate (per month) | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Before 1.11.2016 | Rs 2,000 | Old rate (2010 / 2014 memos) |
| 1.11.2016 | Rs 3,000 | Memo 23/1/2005-3D-III, 29.10.2016 — raised from Rs 2,000 |
| 1.11.2017 | Rs 3,400 | Rs 400 annual increase (the memo’s rule) |
| 1.11.2018 | Rs 3,800 | Rs 400 annual increase (the memo’s rule) |
| 1.11.2019 | Rs 4,200 | Rs 400 annual increase (the memo’s rule) |
| 1.11.2020 | Rs 4,600 | Rs 400 annual increase (the memo’s rule) |
| 1.11.2021 | Rs 5,000 | Rs 400 annual increase (the memo’s rule) |
| 1.11.2022 | Rs 5,400 | Rs 400 annual increase (the memo’s rule) |
| 1.11.2023 | Rs 5,800 | Rs 400 annual increase (the memo’s rule) |
| 1.11.2024 | Rs 6,200 | Rs 400 annual increase (the memo’s rule) |
| 1.11.2025 | Rs 6,600 | Rs 400 annual increase (the memo’s rule) |
| 1.11.2026 | Rs 7,000 | Rs 400 annual increase (the memo’s rule) — current rate, by calculation |
The calculation is straightforward — Rs 3,000 (2016) + 10 years x Rs 400 = Rs 7,000. The memo states no cap on the increase, and no newer memo for this scheme was found on the department’s website — so this guide treats Rs 7,000 as the current rate. Even so, do confirm the current rate in writing from your Zila Sainik Board before applying — if the increase was stopped in any year or a new order came, that rate will apply.
The Biggest Confusion — This Scheme vs Other Widow Schemes
Haryana has several schemes for widows and their conditions differ — most confusion comes from mixing them up. The table below makes the difference clear.
| Scheme | For whom | Amount | Pension condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| This scheme — War Widow Assistance | Widow of a soldier killed in a declared war | Rs 7,000/month (2026, by calculation) | Paid on top of family pension |
| Ex-Servicemen 60+ Assistance (guide 7743) | Ex-servicemen 60+ and their widows | Rs 600/month (2006 rate) | Only if receiving no pension at all |
| World War II Assistance | Soldiers / widows enrolled before 31 August 1945 | Rs 10,000/month (November 2017) | — |
| Widow Pension, SJ&E (guide 6019) | Widow / destitute woman 18+, income < Rs 3 lakh | Rs 3,200/month | Not given to family pension holders |
| KSB Home Loan Interest Subsidy (guide 7505) | War widow (central scheme) | 50% interest subsidy on home loan | — |
| Shaheed Samman (guide 6075) | Family of a martyr | Rs 1 crore one-time ex-gratia | — |
Who Is Eligible?
Every condition below must be met — these are the conditions in the 2016 memo; where the memo is silent, the guide says so clearly.
| Condition | Detail |
|---|---|
| Widow | Widow of a Defence Forces (Army, Navy or Air Force) personnel |
| Martyrdom | Husband was killed in action during a declared war (“killed in action during declared war”) |
| Family pension | Already receiving a family pension from the Government of India — this assistance is paid on top of it |
| Residence | Permanent resident of Haryana (the department’s standard condition — confirm at the ZSB) |
| Remarriage | Nothing is written about this in the 2016 memo — ask the ZSB |
| Income / age | No income limit or age limit is written in the memo — no limit is assumed |
Who Is NOT Eligible?
If any of the situations below applies to you, this scheme will not give assistance — check yourself against this list before applying.
- Husband did not die in war — for example, death during service from illness or an accident; the Shaheed Samman / ex-gratia policy is separate for such cases, not this scheme.
- Husband was in a paramilitary force (CAPF / para-military) — this scheme is only for the Defence Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force); CAPF has a separate ex-gratia policy.
- Husband was an ex-serviceman who died a normal death — look at the 60+ ex-servicemen assistance (guide 7743), not this scheme.
- Husband was a World War II soldier — there is a separate assistance for them (Rs 10,000 a month, November 2017); this scheme is for widows of martyrs of declared wars.
- Not a permanent resident of Haryana — a resident of another state cannot take this assistance from Haryana’s Sainik Board; contact your own state’s Sainik Board.
- Not a widow — this assistance goes only to the war widow; ex-gratia and other schemes are separate for the martyr’s parents or children.
What Does “Declared War” Mean?
The memo uses exactly these words — the husband must have been “killed in action during declared war”. India’s declared wars are 1947-48, 1962, 1965 and 1971. But one question is not answered by the memo — what about Kargil 1999? War was not formally declared in Kargil, yet it is treated as a war and its martyrs were given war-martyr status. The position of soldiers killed in counter-insurgency operations is likewise not clear from the memo. The separate ex-gratia policy does cover death in an operational area — the Punjab and Haryana High Court held so in the Jagroshini Devi case. So if the husband was martyred in Kargil or in an operation, do ask your Zila Sainik Board in writing whether that case falls under this scheme.
Documents Required
The 2016 memo carries no list of documents — the list below is based on the verified document list of the department’s other financial assistance schemes. Confirm the exact list at your Zila Sainik Board before applying, because if even one paper is missing, the case will stall.
| No. | Document | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Application form | From the SARAL portal or the ZSB office; to be submitted at the ZSB |
| 2 | Husband’s death certificate / martyrdom certificate | Proof of martyrdom in war — the most important paper |
| 3 | Family pension PPO / pension proof | Proof that a family pension is being received from the Government of India |
| 4 | Husband’s discharge book / service record | Proof of service in the Defence Forces — confirm at the ZSB |
| 5 | Haryana residence proof (domicile certificate) | Proof of being a permanent resident |
| 6 | Aadhaar card | Proof of identity |
| 7 | Bank account details (passbook / cancelled cheque) | The assistance will come into this account |
| 8 | Affidavit | Asked for in the department’s other FA schemes — confirm for this scheme at the ZSB |
How to Apply?
The application for this scheme can be made online (SARAL) and offline (ZSB) — the service name on the SARAL portal is the same as the scheme name. Follow the steps below to apply.
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Check eligibility — war widow, family pension being received, permanent resident of Haryana |
| 2 | Gather documents — death / martyrdom certificate, family pension PPO, domicile, Aadhaar, bank details (see the list above) |
| 3 | Apply — online through the “Financial Assistance to war widows of Defence Forces” service on the Antyodaya SARAL portal, or submit the form at your district’s Zila Sainik Board office |
| 4 | Scrutiny and sanction — the Zila Sainik Board will check the case and send it to the Rajya Sainik Board; payment starts after sanction |
| 5 | Payment — after sanction, the monthly assistance will come into the bank account; ask the ZSB for the current rate and the payment date |
The application status can be asked about at your Zila Sainik Board office. Note — the SARAL portal did not open from here on 9 November 2026 (timed out) — that does not mean the portal is down; you can also apply through a CSC centre.
Fee, Timeline and Status Check
- Fee: No government fee for this scheme is written in any official source — no fee is being claimed; ask at the ZSB.
- Timeline: No disposal timeline has been published — no number of days can be stated.
- Status check: Ask at your Zila Sainik Board office — no online status portal has been verified.
- RTS: No timeline under the Right to Service (RTS) has been found in any official source for this service — no number of days can be stated.
- Last date: None — applications are accepted throughout the year.
How Is the Money Paid? — The Payment Route
After sanction, the assistance comes every month into the widow’s bank account — the pattern is as follows:
- Family pension (Centre) — from the Government of India, through the Ministry of Defence; it is already being received and continues.
- State assistance (Haryana) — Rs 7,000 a month (from November 2026, by calculation) — from the Rajya Sainik Board’s budget head 2235-SSW-60-OSSWP-200-OP-(76).
- Both together — that is the special feature of this scheme: the state assistance is paid on top of the family pension, not in place of it.
- Payment method — the memo does not state the payment method (DBT / bank) separately — ask the ZSB.
- This is assistance, not a pension — it is a state financial assistance, paid from a head separate from the family pension.
When Will the Amount Start, and When Will It Stop?
The 2016 memo does not state from which month payment starts after sanction, or in which situations it stops. The department’s other FA scheme (60+ ex-servicemen assistance) pays from the first day of the month after sanction with no arrears — but that rule is not written in this scheme’s memo, so do not assume it applies here. Ask your Zila Sainik Board in writing about the start of payment, arrears, and the stop conditions — all three. One thing is clear from the memo — this assistance runs alongside the family pension; it does not replace it.
The Scheme’s Budget and Scale
This is not a large scheme — it is a scheme for a small, targeted group, and the budget figures say the same. As per the department’s budget statement (position as on 18 February 2025), the budget for this scheme in 2024-25 was Rs 1.34 crore and Rs 95.94 lakh had been spent by 18 February 2025. At the 2024-25 rate (Rs 6,200 a month) that expenditure works out roughly to 150–180 widows — that is not an official count, it is a rough estimate worked out from the expenditure. For comparison — the 60+ ex-servicemen assistance budget was Rs 13.5 crore and the widows-of-ESM assistance budget was Rs 32 crore. The scheme is running and money is being spent — it is not a closed scheme.
| Scheme (2024-25) | Budget (Rs lakh) | Spent till 18.02.2025 (Rs lakh) |
|---|---|---|
| War Widow Assistance (this scheme) | 134.00 | 95.94 |
| Ex-Servicemen 60+ Assistance | 1,350.00 | 1,026.92 |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. How much assistance will I get under this scheme?
Rs 7,000 a month from November 2026 — this figure is a calculation from the 2016 memo’s rule (Rs 3,000 + Rs 400 increase every year). The memo writes the rate as Rs 3,000 (1.11.2016) and the escalation rule — confirm the current rate at the ZSB.
2. Will I get this assistance along with the family pension?
Yes — that is the special feature of this scheme. This assistance is paid in addition to the family pension from the Government of India, not in place of it. The Rs 600 ESM assistance is the opposite — it goes only to those receiving no pension at all.
3. How is it different from the Rs 600 assistance?
They are two different schemes. Rs 600 a month is the ex-servicemen 60+ assistance (guide 7743) — for ex-servicemen aged 60+ and their widows, and only when they receive no pension. Rs 7,000 a month is the war widow assistance — for the widow of a soldier martyred in a declared war, on top of the family pension.
4. Who is eligible?
The widow of a Defence Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force) personnel killed in action during a declared war, who is already receiving a family pension from the Government of India. Being a permanent resident of Haryana is also required.
5. Is the widow of a Kargil 1999 martyr eligible?
The memo does not make this clear — ask the ZSB in writing. The memo writes “declared war” and war was not formally declared in Kargil, yet Kargil is treated as a war. The separate ex-gratia policy does cover death in an operational area — so confirmation from the ZSB is essential for this scheme.
6. Where do I apply?
Online — through the “Financial Assistance to war widows of Defence Forces” service on the Antyodaya SARAL portal; offline — at your district’s Zila Sainik Board office. The SARAL portal did not open from here on 9 November 2026 — you can also apply through a CSC centre.
7. What is the last date to apply?
There is no last date — applications are accepted throughout the year.
8. What happens on remarriage?
Nothing is written about this in the 2016 memo. The department’s other FA scheme asks for an affidavit stating “I have not remarried”, but that is not in this scheme’s memo — so ask the ZSB.
9. How much does the widow of a World War II soldier get?
Rs 10,000 a month (from November 2017) — but that is a separate scheme, only for soldiers / widows enrolled before 31 August 1945. It has nothing to do with this scheme.
10. Can I get both this and the Rs 3,200 widow pension?
No. The Rs 3,200-a-month widow pension (guide 6019) is not given to women who receive a family pension — and a war widow is already receiving a family pension from the Government of India. So both cannot be taken together — the war widow gets the family pension + Rs 7,000 state assistance, which is more than double Rs 3,200.
Official Links and Contact
The links below are official sources. The myScheme detail page could not be verified, so myScheme is cited by its list entry number, not by a link.
- Sainik Welfare Department, Haryana: sainikwelfareharyana.gov.in — the Rajya Sainik Board’s website; the “FA to War widows” policy PDF was found here
- Policy memo: Memo No. 23/1/2005-3D-III, 29.10.2016 — Chief Secretary, Defence Branch, Panchkula; available on the department’s website as the “FA to War widows” PDF
- SARAL portal: saralharyana.gov.in — service name “Financial Assistance to war widows of Defence Forces” (did not open from here on 9 November 2026)
- myScheme — Haryana schemes: myScheme Haryana list, entry #16 — the detail page slug could not be verified
- Rajya Sainik Board Headquarters: Sector-12, Panchkula; Tel 0172-5210277; Email [email protected]
- SARAL helpline: 0172-3968400 — only for SARAL portal queries
- Related guides — Ex-Servicemen 60+ Assistance: Ex-Servicemen 60 Years Assistance | Widow Pension Rs 3,200: Widow Pension Scheme | KSB Home Loan Subsidy: Home Loan Interest Subsidy | Shaheed Samman Rs 1 Crore: Shaheed Samman Scheme | DAYALU Scheme: DAYALU Scheme
Disclaimer
This guide was prepared on 9 November 2026 from available official sources — the policy memo on the Sainik & Ardh Sainik Welfare Department, Haryana website (Memo No. 23/1/2005-3D-III, 29.10.2016), the department’s budget statement (position as on 18 February 2025), the Antyodaya SARAL service list (2018) and the myScheme Haryana list (entry #16). The most important point: the Rs 7,000-a-month rate is a calculation from the 2016 memo’s escalation rule (Rs 400 every year); no newer memo for this scheme was found on the department’s website. The assistance amount, eligibility and process can change — before applying, do take the latest information in writing from your Zila Sainik Board. Where sources differ or information could not be verified (especially the current rate, the meaning of “declared war”, the remarriage rule, the exact document list, the fee and RTS timeline), the guide says so clearly. Viksit Haryana is not an official portal of any government department.
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