Widowed Parent’s Allowance

The Widowed Parent's Allowance has now been officially replaced by Bereavement Support Payment. For financial support in cases of bereavement you will need to apply to the Bereavement Support Payment scheme.

Photo by William Iven on PixaBay

Widowed Parent’s Allowance or widow's pension as it is often called, is a regular payment given by the government to help you support your children after the loss of your partner. This support is provided by the government to widows, widowers or surviving civil partners over the age of 45 and is available for up to 52 weeks from the death of your partner.

How it works

The amount you receive is based on the National Insurance contributions made by your husband, wife or civil partner and is capped at £113.70 a week. If your loved one lost their life because of an industrial accident or disease, you can claim this allowance even if they made no National Insurance contributions.

Widowed Parent’s Allowance may affect your entitlement to other benefits you may already receive so you should contact your local Jobcentre Plus to find out more.

Am I eligible for Widowed Parent’s Allowance?

If you are under the state pension age and have at least one dependent child at the time when you lost your partner, you could be eligible to receive this support. Similarly, if you don’t have a child but are pregnant, you are still entitled to the Widowed Parent’s Allowance. The payments will stop, however, once your child becomes independent. In the UK, this can mean when they reach the age of 16, or 20 if they stay enrolled in an approved education or training schemes.

You cannot claim this support if:

• you were divorced from your partner when they died
• you remarry or are living with another person as if you are married to them or as if you have formed a civil partnership
• you were over the State Pension age when you were widowed
• you are in prison

What do I do now?

To claim Widowed Parent’s Allowance download the Bereavement Benefits Pack (form BB1) or order it over the phone from your local Jobcentre Plus. Once completed, take the form to your local Jobcentre Plus or send it to:

Dover Benefit Centre
Post Handling Site B
Wolverhampton
WV99 1LA