Can I get Widowed Parent's Allowance?
If your husband, wife or civil partner died before 6 April 2017 and you had a dependent child who lived with you at the time your husband, wife or civil partner died, you may be able to get Widowed Parent's Allowance.
If your spouse or civil partner died on or after 6 April 2017 you may be able to claim Bereavement Support Payment instead.
Widowed Parent's Allowance depends on the national insurance contributions of your husband, wife or civil partner. It does not matter if you have not paid national insurance contributions yourself. If your husband, wife or civil partner died because of an industrial injury, their national insurance contributions might not matter.
You cannot get Widowed Parent's Allowance if you were divorced or if your civil partnership was dissolved or if you were living with someone else when your husband, wife or civil partner died.
Widowed Parent's Allowance is paid until you stop getting Child Benefit.
The law is due to be changed in September 2021 to allow surviving unmarried partners to get Widowed Parents Allowance. The change is planned to apply to anyone whose partner died since 30 August 2018.
Updated: April 2022