Widowed parent’s benefits


Widowed parents can currently get monthly state benefits until they are no longer entitled to Child Benefit (see page 71). 


The amount is based on how much your late husband, wife or civil partner paid in National Insurance contributions. The maximum Widowed Parent’s Allowance is currently £112.55 a week. 


From April 2017, the government is introducing a new single Bereavement Support Payment, which will replace the existing system of Bereavement Payment, Bereavement Allowance and Widowed Parent’s Allowance. The simplified system will mark a shift in focus from long- to short-term support, with payment covering only the 12-month period following the bereavement.


In the case of Widowed Parent’s Allowance, the initial lump sum will be increased to £5,000, but with the existing system currently being paid until the youngest child leaves education, bereavement charities say that around 75% of people affected by the change will be worse off. 


Impact on other benefits


Income Support, Incapacity Benefit, Employment and Support Allowance, Carer’s Allowance, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Pension Credit are reduced by the amount of Widowed Parent’s Allowance or Bereavement Allowance paid. These payments are also taken into account when calculating Working Tax Credit, Housing Benefit and Universal Credit.


The new system of Bereavement Support Payment will not affect Universal Credit entitlement, and will not be included within the Benefit Cap, as the existing Allowance currently is.