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Widowed Parent's Allowance

If you're a parent whose husband, wife or civil partner has died and you have a dependent child or young person (aged 16 and under 20) for whom you receive Child Benefit, you may be able to get Widowed Parent's Allowance (WPA).

Who can claim?

You may get WPA if all the following apply:

  • you're bringing up a child or young person under 19 (or under 20 in some cases) for whom you're getting Child Benefit
  • you're under State Pension age
  • your husband, wife or civil partner died
  • your husband, wife or civil partner paid National Insurance contributions (NICs)

You may also claim WPA if:

Who can't claim?

You can't claim if:

  • you were divorced from your husband or wife or the civil partnership had dissolved when the civil partner died
  • you remarry or are living with a partner as husband and wife or as if you had formed a civil partnership
  • you're in prison

How much do you get?

£100.70 a week is the maximum basic allowance of Widowed Parent’s Allowance from April 2011. There may be an entitlement to additional pension.

How it's paid

Direct Payment into an account is the Social Security Agency’s normal way of paying pensions and benefits. It is a safe, convenient and efficient method of payment.

Effect on other benefits

If you're already getting any of the following benefits, the amount of your payments may change once you start to get Widowed Parent's Allowance:

  • Income Support
  • Incapacity Benefit
  • Jobseeker's Allowance
  • Carer's Allowance
  • Employment and Support Allowance

The office that deals with your claim will explain how this works.

Bereavement Allowance

If you're aged at least 45 but under State Pension age and your Widowed Parent's Allowance ends within 52 weeks of your bereavement, you may be able to get Bereavement Allowance.

How to claim?

You can order a Bereavement Benefits claim pack, form BB1 over the telephone from the Bereavement Benefits or Social Security / Jobs and Benefits office

Download a claim form to print off and fill in.

Once you’ve completed the form, send it to the Pension Service or your nearest Social Security / Jobs and Benefits office as soon as possible.

Claims can only be backdated three months and are dated when the office gets them, so if you delay you may lose benefit.

What to do if your circumstances change

It's important you tell the Pension Service or your nearest Social Security / Jobs and Benefits office if your circumstances change, for example if:

What else you need to know

You'll need to prove your identity when making a claim. You'll also have to answer questions about your circumstances and show official documents to support the information.

More useful links

See also...

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