Bereavement Allowance

You might be able to claim Bereavement Allowance (previously known as Widow’s Pension) if you’re widowed between 45 and State Pension age.

You can get it for up to 52 weeks from the date your husband, wife or civil partner died.

The amount you get depends on:

• the overall level of your husband, wife or civil partner’s National Insurance contributions
• your age at the time of their death

The benefit cap limits the amount of benefit that most people aged 16 to 64 can get. Some individual benefits aren’t affected, but it may affect the total amount of benefit you get.

You may get Bereavement Allowance if all the following apply:

• you were 45 or over when your husband, wife or civil partner died
• you’re under State Pension age
• your late husband, wife or civil partner paid National Insurance contributions, or they died as a result of an industrial accident or disease

You won’t get Bereavement Allowance if you:

• are bringing up children - you can claim Widowed Parent’s Allowance instead
• remarry or form a new civil partnership
• live with another person as if you’re married or in a civil partnership
• were divorced from your husband, wife or civil partner before their death
• were over State Pension age when you were widowed or became a surviving civil partner - you may be able to get extra State Pension
• are in prison