Grief & Bereavement Support for Veterans After Remembrance

Every November, the Armed Forces community comes together in gratitude, to honour service, celebrate courage, and remember sacrifice. Remembrance is more than a moment of silence; it’s a reminder of our shared strength, unity, and resilience.

Remembrance Poppies with Soldiers in background

But for many veterans and military families, Remembrance isn’t just a date on the calendar. It can reopen memories, raise emotions, and bring grief back to the surface.

Remembrance doesn’t end with the two-minute silence. And you don’t have to face the days afterwards on your own.

The days following Remembrance Sunday can feel quieter and more reflective. Once the parades end and the uniforms are hung up, emotions often surface, pride often runs hand in hand with grief. Whether you’re coping with grief or reflecting on past service, it’s a moment to reconnect with your community and see the support that’s here for you.

Loss in the Forces world carries a weight civilians may not fully understand. It’s shaped by shared experiences, pride, and purpose, bonds that run deeper than friendship.

That’s why specialist bereavement and mental health support for the Armed Forces community exists.

Bereavement and Mental Health Support for Veterans and Military Spouses

When someone from the Forces community dies, it affects more than the individual who served. Partners, children, parents, and friends often carry the weight quietly. Whether you’re a veteran grieving a comrade, or a spouse adjusting to life after loss, support is here to help you through the emotional and practical challenges. These trusted organisations understand military life and can provide a safe place to talk, guidance with paperwork and benefits, and specialist mental health support when things feel overwhelming.

SSAFA Bereavement Support offers emotional and practical help to serving personnel, veterans and their families after a loss. They can provide someone to talk to, help with funeral arrangements or paperwork, and connect families with local caseworkers who support with housing, benefits or day-to-day challenges. The service is confidential and tailored to the complexities of military life. Forces families can contact SSAFA Forcesline: 0800 260 6767 to start the process.
Cruse Bereavement Support provides free professional counselling and peer support for anyone coping with grief. Their trained teams understand traumatic or unexpected loss, and can support adults, children and young people across the UK. Whether someone wants structured therapy or simply a safe space to talk, Cruse offers support in person, online or over the phone. Their helpline is 0808 808 1677.
Combat Stress: supports veterans dealing with trauma, anxiety, depression or PTSD, including grief linked to service. Their helpline and clinical teams provide mental health treatment, counselling and trauma-focused therapy. For veterans who find Remembrance or bereavement triggering, Combat Stress offers specialist care that understands military culture and experiences. Their 24/7 helpline is 0800 138 1619.
The Royal British Legion provide lifelong support to veterans and their families, including free advice, practical assistance and a helpline (0808 802 8080). They also offer support for bereavement, funeral costs and peer connection. RBL – Bereavement support
The Army Families Federation offers support for serving Army families dealing with loss, including a detailed guide to first-steps, housing, education and children, financial support and wellbeing bespoke to Army families. See their bereavement advice page. AFF
Mind offers mental health support for anyone struggling after a loss, including veterans and military families. Their advice services, counselling information and online community can help with anxiety, depression, trauma, and the emotional impact of bereavement. Mind also has local branches across the UK, so people can access support close to home or find someone to talk to online if they’re not ready face-to-face.
Butterflies Bereavement Support provide bereavement counselling and local bereavement drop-in groups to support adults in Hampshire & The Isle of Wight who are dealing with grief and loss. They also have a telephone buddy service to support people who are lonely or isolated.
WAY (Widowed & Young) is a charity that offers a peer-to-peer support network for anyone who's lost a partner before their 51st birthday – married or not, with or without children, inclusive of sexual orientation, gender, race and religion.
The UK government’s official guide ‘What to do when a veteran dies’ details key actions; registering the death, claiming funeral costs, entitlements under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme and War Pension Scheme, and finding bereavement support.

You can also explore Troopr’s Mental Health Support and Money and Finances pages for guidance on navigating life after loss.

Ways veterans can honour friends and look after themselves:

Join a Veterans’ Breakfast Club
Connect with your regimental association or reunion group
Reach out to an old mate
Get support from veteran-specific counsellors
Attend charity fundraisers

Troopr Tip: Find veterans’ groups and events through the Troopr Community Hub.

Bereavement Support for Military Children

Military spouses, partners, children, and parents carry their own grief — often quietly.

Whether you’re ready to talk or even if you’re not sure yet, these trusted organisations can help you take the next step toward healing:

Scotty’s Little Soldiers supports children and young people after the loss of a parent who served.
Forces Children Scotland provides tailored assistance to help each child thrive and reach their full potential. Some of their key initiatives include:
Little Troopers is a charity that focuses on helping military children stay connected with their deployed parents and navigate military life. Their programs are designed to offer emotional and practical support to military children, ensuring they feel connected and understood.
Official Government Support & Benefits If you’ve lost someone who served, and you’re navigating next steps — both emotional and practical — the UK government offers dedicated bereavement compensation and support. Visit the official guidance provided by the Ministry of Defence and Veterans UK for full details on eligibility, how to claim, and key questions to ask.

Moving Forward

Remembrance is about honour, not just for the fallen, but for the living. It’s about carrying forward the values of service, loyalty, and courage in our own lives. By supporting one another, listening without judgment, and keeping community ties strong, we ensure that no veteran or military family faces grief alone.

Explore Troopr’s support for veterans and military families today, and find strength, connection, and healing beyond remembrance.