Widowed Parent's Allowance
Widowed Parent's Allowance
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Contents
Contents
Eligibility
Other bereavement benefits
If you live abroad
What will you get?
Effect on other Benefits
Overview
Overview
Widowed parent's allowance (Bereavement Support) is a weekly benefit for widows, widowers or surviving civil partners. You can only claim this benefit of your partner died before 6 April 2017.
These benefits are not means-tested, so they are available to anyone regardless of their income level and can be paid whether or not you are working.
Eligibility
Eligibility
You can only make a new claim for WPA if your partner died before 6 April 2017. When they died, you and your partner must have either been:
married or in a civil partnership
living together as though you were married or in a civil partnership
If you were married or in a civil partnership, your partner must also have only recently been declared dead. You’ll need to confirm the cause of death.
All the following must also apply:
you’re under State Pension age
your partner paid National Insurance contributions, or they died because of an accident at work or a disease caused by work
you’re entitled to Child Benefit for at least one child
You may also claim WPA if you were pregnant when your partner died, or you were pregnant after fertility treatment when your partner died.
When you cannot claim WPA
When you cannot claim WPA
You cannot claim WPA if you:
were divorced or had ended your civil partnership when your partner died
were no longer living with your partner when they died
have remarried or formed a new civil partnership
are living with another person as if you’re married or in a civil partnership with them
were over State Pension age when your partner died – you may be able to get extra State Pension
are in prison
Other bereavement benefits
Other bereavement benefits
You do not have to apply more than once - you’ll be considered for all bereavement benefits when you apply for one.
If you live abroad
If you live abroad
Contact the International Pension Centre to find out if you can claim if you’ve moved abroad.
International Pension Centre
Telephone: +44 191 21 87608
Department for Work and Pensions
Department for Work and Pensions
Bereavement and widows’ benefits
International Pension Centre
Tyneview Park
Newcastle-upon-Tyne
NE98 1BA
You must include your:
full name
date of birth
National Insurance number (if you know it)
What will you get?
What will you get?
The amount you get is based on how much your partner paid in National Insurance contributions.
The maximum Widowed Parent’s Allowance (WPA) is £148.40 a week.
How Widowed Parent's Allowance is paid
How Widowed Parent's Allowance is paid
Bereavement Allowance is usually paid into your bank, building society or credit union account.
Effect on other Benefits
Effect on other Benefits
Once you get Bereavement Allowance, payments may change if you’re getting any of the following:
Your JobCentre Plus adviser will explain how this works.
The benefit cap limits the amount of benefit you can get. It applies to most people aged 16 or over who have not reached State Pension age. Some individual benefits are not affected, but it may affect the total amount of benefit you get.
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