General Chat

Was there an age qualification for this in the 1980s? I'm almost sure there was for a woman in her 40s couldn't claim it? Because she was to young to be widowed.

Believe it was not under 45 and not over 60

Now it’s not over 65

Flipping heck if your Husband dies you are a widow no matter what age you are.

"In the United Kingdom, the Widow’s Pension was discontinued in 2001. A widow's pension [could] be paid to childless widows aged 45 or over, or to those whose husband died before September 4, 2001.
When it was offered, for a woman to qualify, her husband had to have paid 25 flat-rate contributions before April 6, 1975. "

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Widow%27s_pension

I think there was a pension for widowed mothers.

Widowed Parent's Allowance ?? But not in the 1980s.

Widowed Parent’s Allowance, together with the lump-sum Bereavement Payment and the Bereavement Allowance, were introduced in 2001 to replace the previous system of widow’s benefits. These benefits have now in turn been replaced by a new benefit – Bereavement Support Payment – for people bereaved on or after 6 April 2017. Widowed Parent’s Allowance is still however payable to those bereaved before this date who have dependent children. Widowed Parent’s Allowance is paid for as long as the recipient is eligible to receive Child Benefit (which is payable for young people until they reach 16, or 20 in some cases).

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cdp-2019-0006/

I know it seems terrible now and not at all funny but my husband and and me were always teasing each other, when we found out that you got the widows pension at 46 I teased him don’t go till I’m 46 will you he knew I was t teasing as I said we had that kind of relationship but he did die when I was 46 but he had a short illness when I turned 60 I got my state pension but I am going back 27 years

From memory my mother received a Widowed Mothers pension as she was over 50 at the time of my father's death. This was in the mid 1950s

Widowed Mother's Allowance:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Widowed_Mother%27s_Allowance

It was replaced by the Widowed Parent's Allowance.

From what I remember from the 80s when I dealt with state widow's benefits, from age 40 to age 49 an Age Related Widow's Pension would be paid, provided the late husband had paid enough NIC in the relevant period and which applied to all claims for Widow's Benefits. These payments would be set at the age of bereavement and a little more paid at each year older you were when bereaved. If the widow was aged over 50 when bereaved, a Widows Pension the same rate for all was paid (I think it was the equivalent of the state pension then, but don't quote me as it was a long time ago)! If the widow had children, Widowed Mother's Allowance would be be paid plus an increase for each child.

However, from the April 1988 things changed and widows under age 45 were not entitled to widow's pension anymore as ArgyllGran has said.

Quote from this link

https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/RP98-100/RP98-100.pdf

"D. Reform in the 1980s
In the mid 1980s, the Conservative government decided on a number of changes to
widows' benefits as part of its wider social security reforms. These, the government said,
were designed to concentrate help on those widows who were less likely to be working,
and were to be seen against the background of greater involvement of women in the
workforce and the growth of occupational provision for widows.8
More help was to be
given "immediately after bereavement, when financial problems were particularly acute"
and help was to be concentrated on older widows.9
The main changes contained in the Social Security Act 1986 were:
• Widow's Allowance was abolished and replaced by the lump sum £1,000 Widow's
Payment.
• Widow's Pension and Widowed Mother's Allowance were made payable from
bereavement instead of 6 months later.
• The age threshold for full entitlement to Widow's Pension was increased from 50 to
55.
• The reduced rate age-related Widow's Pension was paid for those bereaved (or whose
Widowed Mother's Allowance had ended) between 45 and 54, rather than 40 and 49.
These changes applied to widows bereaved after the Act came into force in April 1988."