Over 3,000 war widows across NSW are being stripped of their local council rate concessions following the death of their veteran spouse, at an already devastating time for these individuals [1]. The Families of Veterans Guild (The Guild) is calling on the NSW Government to fix this unfair rule and restore concession equality for this vulnerable group.
Section 134 of the Local Government (General) Regulation 2021 imposes an income and asset test on war widows when their veteran partner dies, a test which they do not need to go through when their loved one is alive. This means 35% of NSW war widows are losing this critical concession at what is already the most difficult time of their lives.
This concession results in a reduction in local council rates, covering services like waste, water and emergency levies. The 2025 Veteran Families Survey, commissioned by the Families of Veterans Guild showed that 39% of war widows are already concerned about their financial situation and 37% experienced under or unemployment over the last 12 months. The removal of this financial support places extra burdens on (mostly) women whose income-earning capacity is often limited, increasing financial pressures for those who need support most.
Renee Wilson, CEO of the Families of Veterans Guild, said “This regulatory change from the NSW government is not just stripping away a vital concession from the already vulnerable war widow community, it’s doing so at a time of immense grief when their veteran passes away.”
“To penalise these individuals, who have supported their veteran partners for decades, by imposing new means tests on them simply isn’t fair.”
The Guild highlights that the fix is simple: amend Section 134 of the Local Governments (General) Regulation NSW 2021 and remove the income and assets test for war widows. The financial impact on the government is minimal, as most affected households had previously received the concession.
“We are asking the NSW Government to make a simple change to honour the service of our veteran families and restore the equality these widows deserve,” Renee Wilson continued.
The Guild is urging NSW residents to support the campaign by writing to their local MP.
More information is available here.
[1] The Families of Veterans Guild defines a war widow as the partner of an ADF service member or veteran who has passed away.
