Widow's Pension - large age difference.

Jillyan

My husband is 70 this year and in receipt of full state pension. I am 50 and have not made NI contributions because I have been a homemaker all our married life (30 years this year). We have a 15 year old son.

I have read the bumph from the directgov site and the dwp site but cannot make much sense of it and get a definitive answer. Can someone please tell me, if my husband dies before I reach pensionable age, can I claim anything on his NI contributions - some kind of widow's pension - or do the contributions die with him leaving me to fall at the feet of the state in my own right. Some help clarifying this frankly tricky maze would be very helpful.
Thanks, Jillyan

margaretclare

Did you work before becoming a 'homemaker'? If you did, you may have NI contributions and you may have accrued Home Responsibilities Protection to enable you to claim your own state retirement pension. If not, 50 is still young enough to get in some years at work and build up your own pension.

I don't think there is any such thing as payment for being a widow, not any more. We are all supposed to build up our own entitlement. When you reach state retirement age, if your husband is deceased by then, you will be able to claim against his contribution record and claim 100% of what he gets now. If you reach state retirement age and he's still alive then you can claim 60% of what he gets now.

I am not sure what will happen if he dies before you reach state retirement age for women, which will be between age 60 and 65.

atush

Ask for a state pension forcast. It doesn't cost anything.

you may find you were given 3 years of contribs plus home responsibilities (could be 12-15 years depending on the age of your childe when it swtiched from 16 to 12 years). If it isn't 18 yrs total, you can claim 18 yrs (ie 60% pension) under your husband's contrib record.

anmarj

when you become state pensioin age and he has died you would get a state pension based on a proportion of this contributions depending on certain factors

before that you may be able to claim bereavement allowance

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/Bereaved/DG_10018684

or if you son was under 19 at the time

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/Bereaved/DG_10018848

Jillyan

Thank you for such prompt replies. I did work, but only for three years after college, before getting married. I would have paid very little NI in that time, certainly not enough. Never heard of Home Responsibilities Protection, I'll have to look into that. I am most concerned about what will happen if my husband dies before I reach pensionable age, at least while my son is still at school. I will also look into the state pensions forecast you mention.
Thanks very much.
Jillyan

xylophone

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Pensionsandretirementplanning/StatePension/Basicstatepension/DG_10026707

sleepless_saver

Jillyan wrote: »

I am most concerned about what will happen if my husband dies before I reach pensionable age, at least while my son is still at school.

Is your husband's life insured?

atush

Does your husband have a work pension? Many of those come with Death in Service benefits which can be worth quite a bit. and you would possibly inherit the pension pot too if he had't taken it yet.

agrinnall

I would think at 70 it's quite likely that he has already retired from work, so even if there was a Death in Service provision it would no longer apply. However, if a works pension is already being paid then it's quite possible that the OP may be able to receive some or all of that.

McKneff

As you are only 50, you could find a job, work for the next 15 years and pay 15 years NI contribution, that will help towards your state pension.

atush

Do get the forcast. From what i can tell you will get years for college (3) 3 years for working then 12-15 for your home responsibilities. So that is the min 60% you would get with hubby's contribs. and with a some age 15, you can go back to work part time and earn more contribs to bring you over 60%.