Widowed Parent's Allowance :Cross Stitch – Money, tax and benefits

If you’re a parent whose husband, wife or civil partner has died and you have at least one child who you receive Child Benefit for, you may be able to get Widowed Parent’s Allowance (WPA).

You may get WPA if all the following apply:

• you’re bringing up a child or young person under 19 (or under 20 in some cases for whom you’re getting Child Benefit
• you’re under State Pension age
• your husband, wife or civil partner died
• your husband, wife or civil partner paid National Insurance contributions (NICs)

You may also claim WPA if:

• you’re expecting your late husband’s baby or your late civil partner’s baby (with whom you were pregnant from fertility treatment)
• your husband, wife or civil partner died as a result of their work – even if they didn’t pay NICs

You can’t claim if:

• you were divorced from your husband or wife or the civil partnership had dissolved when the civil partner died
• you remarry or are living with a partner as husband and wife or as if you had formed a civil partnership
• you’re in prison

Once you’ve completed the form, send it to your nearest Jobcentre Plus office as soon as possible.

Claims can only be backdated three months and are dated when the office gets them, so if you delay you may lose benefit.

You’ll need to prove your identity when making a claim. You’ll also have to answer questions about your circumstances and show official documents to support the information.