If your partner died on or after 6 April 2017, see Bereavement Support Payment instead.
Quick facts
- Maximum
- £156.65 a week
- Partner died
- Before 6 April 2017
- You
- Under State Pension age
- Children
- Entitled to Child Benefit
- Couples
- Married, civil partners or living together
Who can claim
When they died, you and your partner must have either been married or in a civil partnership, or living together as though you were married or in a civil partnership.
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
- 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
- are in prison
What 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 £156.65 a week.
Later deaths
For a death on or after 6 April 2017, see Bereavement Support Payment. In Northern Ireland, see Widowed Parent’s Allowance in Northern Ireland.
Common questions
How much is Widowed Parent's Allowance?
Up to £156.65 a week, based on your partner’s National Insurance contributions.
Can I still make a new claim?
Only if your partner died before 6 April 2017.
Can unmarried partners claim?
Yes, if you were living together as though you were married or in a civil partnership.
What if my partner died after April 2017?
Bereavement Support Payment replaced it.