Widowed Parent’s Allowance in the UK: Can You Still Claim?

Widowed Parent’s Allowance in the UK: Can You Still Claim?

Widowed Parent’s Allowance is mostly a legacy benefit now. In most cases, you can only make a new claim if your partner died before 6 April 2017, while some people who already receive it can continue for longer.

That makes it confusing for newly bereaved parents. You may hear the name online, in older advice, or from friends, but the right benefit for you today may actually be Bereavement Support Payment instead.

What is Widowed Parent’s Allowance?

Widowed Parent’s Allowance, often shortened to WPA, is a weekly bereavement benefit for some surviving parents. It was replaced for most new cases by Bereavement Support Payment.

Even so, WPA has not disappeared entirely. It still matters in three common situations:

• you already receive it and want to know whether it continues
• your partner died before 6 April 2017 and you are checking whether a claim is still possible
• you are trying to understand whether old advice about widow’s benefits still applies to your family

Who can still claim Widowed Parent’s Allowance?

The headline rule is simple: a new claim is usually only possible if your partner died before 6 April 2017.

GOV.UK says all of the following usually need to apply:

• you were married, in a civil partnership, or in some cases living together as though you were
• you are under State Pension age
• your partner paid enough National Insurance contributions, or died because of an accident at work or disease caused by work
• you are entitled to Child Benefit for at least one child

WPA may also be relevant if you were pregnant when your partner died, or pregnant after fertility treatment when they died.

This is why the benefit still matters. It is not just an old name for generic bereavement support. It has a very specific link to parenthood, Child Benefit and the date your partner died.

Who cannot claim?

You generally cannot claim WPA if:

• your partner died on or after 6 April 2017 and no special backdated claim situation applies
• you were divorced or had ended the civil partnership when they died
• you were no longer living together when they died
• you have remarried, formed a new civil partnership, or are living with someone as though you are married to them
• you were already over State Pension age when your partner died

If you are newly bereaved now, the most important practical point is this: do not spend weeks filling in the wrong forms because you found outdated advice online. Check the date of death first. That usually tells you very quickly whether you should be looking at WPA or Bereavement Support Payment.

How much is Widowed Parent’s Allowance?

GOV.UK says the maximum WPA rate is £156.65 a week at the time of writing. The actual amount depends on your late partner’s National Insurance record unless the death was caused by a work accident or work-related disease.

WPA usually continues until one of two things happens:

• you stop being entitled to Child Benefit
• you reach State Pension age

Because it is a weekly benefit, it can affect other means-tested support or change how your overall benefits picture looks. If you receive Universal Credit or other ongoing benefits, report the change rather than assuming the systems will sort it out automatically.

How do you claim?

In England, Scotland and Wales, GOV.UK directs people to use:

• form BB1 if you were married or in a civil partnership
• form BB2 if you were living together as though married or in a civil partnership

The Bereavement Service can help with the process and provide alternative formats if needed. If you live in Northern Ireland or abroad, the route is different, so use the government guidance for your location rather than copying a mainland process that may not apply.

Before you claim, it helps to gather:

• the death certificate or equivalent evidence
• National Insurance details if available
• Child Benefit information
• paperwork showing your relationship and family circumstances

Widowed Parent’s Allowance vs Bereavement Support Payment

This is the part most families need spelled out clearly.

Benefit	When it usually applies
Widowed Parent’s Allowance	Mainly where the partner died before 6 April 2017 and the surviving parent meets the older rules
Bereavement Support Payment	The main bereavement benefit for more recent eligible deaths

Bereavement Support Payment replaced WPA for most new cases. So if the death was recent, start there unless official guidance tells you otherwise.

That does not make WPA irrelevant. It still matters for families on older claims, people checking entitlement after a historic death, and parents who need to understand why one person is receiving a weekly benefit while another is being directed to a newer lump-sum-plus-installments style of support.

What if your circumstances change?

Tell the relevant benefit office promptly if:

• your Child Benefit stops
• you move in with a new partner
• you remarry or form a civil partnership
• you start receiving another benefit that could be affected
• your address or banking details change

Delay creates risk. Overpayments can build up quietly and then have to be repaid later, which is the last thing most bereaved families need.

A practical way to approach this

If you are overwhelmed, keep it simple:

1. Check the date your partner died.
2. Confirm whether you currently receive Child Benefit.
3. Check whether you are looking at WPA or Bereavement Support Payment.
4. Gather the basic documents before starting the form.
5. Keep a record of every call, letter and form submission.

A simple admin system matters because bereavement benefits rarely sit alone. They often overlap with child-related costs, housing decisions and other DWP or HMRC changes. GetPassage can help families keep those threads in one place so the financial side of grief feels a little less chaotic.

The bottom line

Widowed Parent’s Allowance is not the main bereavement benefit for most newly bereaved families today, but it is still very real for some surviving parents. If your partner died before 6 April 2017, it is worth checking carefully whether you can claim or whether an existing claim should continue.

If the death was more recent, you will usually want to look at Bereavement Support Payment instead. The key is not to guess. Start with the date of death and your Child Benefit position, and the right path becomes much clearer.