WIDOWED PARENT’S ALLOWANCE: WPA is for widowed parents only.
The bereaved person must be under State Pension age. They must have at least one dependent child with Child Benefit entitlement.
To qualify for WPA, the late husband, wife, or civil partner must be the parent of the child. They must have died before the 6th of April 2017.
In some cases, you can claim if you became pregnant by your late husband before they died.
It may also apply if your pregnancy from a civil partner occurred as a result of fertility treatment.
When does Widowed Parent’s Allowance stop? As a rule, you can receive widows parent allowance until your benefits entitlement to claim Child Benefit finishes.
This guide explains the procedures for widowed parents to claim for these types of bereavement benefits using the BB1 WPA claim form.
How Much is Widowed Parent’s Allowance?
You may be entitled to an additional pension. But, £126.35 a week is the current maximum Widowed Parents Allowance 2022.
As a rule, the amount of NIC paid by your late spouse or civil partner determines the Widowed Parent’s Allowance amount you get.
Note: You may also claim Widowed Parent Allowance even when National Insurance contributions are insufficient.
But this only applies if your spouse or civil partner died as a result of an industrial disease or accident.
WPA is usually paid straight into a secure bank or building society account. It continues until you lose entitlement to Child Benefit.
There will be cases where the husband, wife, or civil partner died on or after the 6th of April 2017.
These widows or widowers may qualify to get the Bereavement Support Payment instead.
Note: Check to see how the benefit cap limits the amount of benefit that most people get between the ages of 16 to 64.
Class 2 National Insurance (NI) Contributions
Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) recently changed the way they collect Class 2 National Insurance (NI) contributions.
Class 2 NI contributions get paid by people who are self-employed. Each tax year payments of Class 2 contributions get collected as part of the annual self-assessment tax return for the majority of self-employed people.
It means that people who are self-employed make an annual once-only payment of Class 2 contributions when completing their self-assessment tax return.
Widowed Parent’s Allowance customers may wish to contact HMRC for advice if their allowance got reduced due to a deficit in a spouse’s or Civil Partner’s Class 2 contributions.
Widowed Parent’s Allowance Eligibility
You may be eligible to claim Widowed Parents Allowance (WPA) providing all the following apply to you:
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- You are below the State Pension age.
- You have entitlement to claim Child Benefit for at least one child under 19 (20 in some rare cases) that you are bringing up and the deceased spouse or civil partner was the parent.
- Your late husband, wife or civil partner had paid sufficient National Insurance contributions (NICs) or they died as a result of an industrial accident or disease.
You would be ineligible to claim WPA if you:
- Were had already divorced your husband, wife, or civil partner at the time of their death.
- Remarry or are living with another person as if you’re married to them (or formed a civil partnership).
- Were over State Pension age when you became widowed or became a surviving civil partner (extra State Pension is available for some)
- Are incarcerated in a prison.
Extra Bereavement Benefits Available
In some circumstances there are other bereavement benefits that you may also be eligible for:
- Bereavement Allowance (after your Widowed Parent’s Allowance has finished).
- A Bereavement Payment.
Note: There is no necessity to apply more than once. This is because your case for all bereavement benefits gets considered when you apply for any of them.
What Happens if You Live Abroad?
If you live abroad you should contact the International Pension Centre to find out if you can claim. Remember to include your full name, date of birth, and your National Insurance number (if known).
International Pension Centre
Telephone: +44 191 21 87608
Department for Work and Pensions Address
Bereavement and Widows’ Benefits
International Pension Centre
Tyneview Park
Newcastle-upon-Tyne
NE98 1BA
How to Apply for Widowed Parents Allowance
When you apply for the Widowed Parent’s Allowance you can either download a Bereavement Benefits Claim Form BB1 or order the claim pack from your local Jobcentre Plus by telephone.
You should take the completed claim form to your local Jobcentre Plus or you can mail it to:
Dover Benefit Centre
Telephone: 0800 731 0139
Post Handling Site B
Wolverhampton
WV99 1LA
Bereavement Service Helpline
Telephone: 0800 151 2012
Welsh language: 0800 731 0453
Textphone: 0800 731 0464
Welsh language: 0800 731 0456
Monday to Friday: 8am to 6pm
Find out about call charges in the United Kingdom.
Note: To reduce the risk of losing any money you must apply for Widowed Parent’s Allowance within 3 months of the date of death.
WPA Help and Information
Contact your JobCentre Plus adviser to find out how receiving Widowed Parents Allowance can affect your payments from other benefits such as:
Widowed Parent’s Allowance Change of Circumstances
You must inform the Dover Benefit Centre of changes in your circumstances such as:
- Your entitlement to Child Benefit ends.
- You remarry or form a civil partnership.
- You start to live with a partner as husband or wife, or as if you had formed a civil partnership.
How to Appeal a Decision
You can also appeal to the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal if you are unsatisfied with a decision made regarding the Death Benefits system.
But, a change in the rules means you must request a ‘mandatory reconsideration’ to challenge a benefit decision at the office before you lodge your appeal.