Widow's pension UK: what replaced it and what you can claim now
The old name has stuck around, which is why people still search for it. This guide explains what happened to the widow's pension, what has taken its place, and what you can actually claim today.
There is no longer a benefit called the widow's pension in the UK. It was replaced in stages, and for most people whose husband, wife or civil partner has died recently the main entitlement is now Bereavement Support Payment. Depending on your circumstances you may also inherit part of your partner's State Pension, and a small number of older claims for Widowed Parent's Allowance still continue.
The old name has stuck around, which is why people still search for it. This guide explains what happened to the widow's pension, what has taken its place, and what you can actually claim today.
What happened to the widow's pension
The widow's pension was part of an older system that has been reformed twice.
In 2001 the original widow's benefits were replaced by Bereavement Allowance, Widowed Parent's Allowance and a one-off Bereavement Payment. Then, for deaths on or after 6 April 2017, those three were themselves replaced by a single benefit: Bereavement Support Payment. The aim was to make support simpler and to focus it on the period straight after a death.
So if you are recently bereaved, the benefit you are looking for is almost certainly Bereavement Support Payment, not a widow's pension.
Bereavement Support Payment: the main replacement
Bereavement Support Payment is a tax-free payment from the Department for Work and Pensions for people whose spouse or civil partner has died. It is not means-tested, so your earnings and savings do not affect it, and it does not reduce other benefits such as Universal Credit.
It is paid as a lump sum followed by up to 18 monthly payments. There are two rates, and which one you get depends on whether you were entitled to Child Benefit when your partner died.
The higher rate pays a £3,500 lump sum and 18 monthly payments of £350, up to £9,800 in total. You qualify for it if you were getting Child Benefit, were entitled to it, or were pregnant when your partner died.
The standard rate pays a £2,500 lump sum and 18 monthly payments of £100, up to £4,300 in total. This applies if you have no dependent children.
Both rates are unchanged for 2026/27. The amounts have not risen since the benefit launched in 2017, so their real value has fallen over time. There is no widow's pension top-up to make up the difference.
Two points catch people out. First, timing. To get the full amount, claim within three months of the death. You can still claim up to 21 months afterwards, but you will receive fewer monthly payments. Second, eligibility for unmarried couples. Cohabiting partners who were raising a child together, or who were pregnant when their partner died, have been able to claim since a law change on 9 February 2023. Many people still assume the old "married only" rule applies, so it is worth checking rather than ruling yourself out.
Bereavement Support Payment also stops at State Pension age. Our full guide explains the detail: Bereavement Support Payment: who qualifies, how much and how to claim.
Widowed Parent's Allowance
Widowed Parent's Allowance no longer exists for new claims. It was one of the benefits replaced in 2017. A small number of people are still paid it, where their partner died before 6 April 2017 and they remained eligible. For 2026/27 the maximum is £156.65 a week. If you are already receiving it, it continues under the old rules. If your partner died in 2017 or later, this is not an option, and Bereavement Support Payment is the relevant benefit instead.
Inheriting State Pension as a widow or widower
Separate from bereavement benefits, you may be able to inherit part of your late partner's State Pension. This is where some of the old "widow's pension" idea genuinely survives, but the rules are now limited and depend on which system applied to your partner.
Under the new State Pension, which applies to people who reached State Pension age from 6 April 2016, the full rate is £241.30 a week for 2026/27. You cannot inherit any of your partner's basic new State Pension. The only part you may inherit is half of a "protected payment", an addition some people built up before April 2016. Many people have no protected payment at all, so there may be nothing to inherit.
Under the old State Pension, the rules are more generous, and a surviving spouse can often inherit a larger share. You will not be able to inherit anything if you remarried or formed a new civil partnership before reaching State Pension age. To find out exactly what applies, contact the Pension Service, which can check your partner's record.
If you want the wider picture on pensions after a death, including workplace and private pensions, see what happens to a pension when someone dies.
War Widow's or Widower's Pension
A separate scheme exists for the families of people who died as a result of service in the Armed Forces. The War Widow's or Widower's Pension, and the survivor benefits under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme, are not part of the DWP bereavement benefits above. They are administered through Veterans UK. If your partner's death was connected to military service, it is worth checking whether you qualify, as these can be paid in addition to other support.
Other support you may be entitled to
Bereavement benefits are not the only help available.
If you or your partner were receiving certain income-related benefits, a Funeral Expenses Payment can help with the cost of the funeral. Universal Credit may provide ongoing support where income has dropped. You may also be entitled to a reduction in Council Tax.
If your partner was employed, check whether their job included a death in service benefit, which is usually a tax-free lump sum paid by the employer's scheme. Our guide explains how it works: death in service benefit. If you are employed yourself, you may also be entitled to time away from work, which we cover in bereavement leave.
The wider job of sorting out a partner's affairs
Checking what you are owed is one strand of the work after losing a partner. The other is dealing with everything in your partner's name: their bank accounts, any pensions and policies, the utilities, the subscriptions and the joint finances you shared.
This is where things get heavy, because there is no single list of what a person held, and each organisation has to be contacted separately, often with the same documents and the same explanation each time. You cannot close what you cannot see, so the first job is usually working out what existed at all. Legacy Trail handles this part for families: finding the accounts, notifying each organisation, and managing the closures and transfers, so that side of the work is not left sitting on one person. Our step-by-step guide to what to do when someone dies and the Tell Us Once service can help you get started.
If you are unsure which benefits apply to you, the Bereavement Service helpline can confirm your entitlement before you assume you do not qualify.
References and further reading
GOV.UK, The new State Pension: inheriting or increasing from a spouse or civil partner
Citizens Advice, Help when someone dies: bereavement benefits
Turn2us, Bereavement Support Payment
This guide is general information about bereavement benefits and State Pension inheritance in the UK. It is not financial or legal advice. Some rules differ in Scotland and Northern Ireland. For advice on your own circumstances, contact the DWP Bereavement Service or a qualified adviser.
This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Individual circumstances vary. If you are dealing with an estate, consider taking advice from a solicitor who specialises in probate. For other guidance specific to your circumstances, speak to a funeral director, Citizens Advice, or a regulated financial adviser.