55 yr old widow-what happens to hubbys pension?

angelatgraceland

I am 55 and my husband passed away 20 months ago. He would have been 65 in May 2014. what happens with regards his state pension?
Will I benefit from it in future? How much? And when? I will be able to retire in September 2014 apparently(unless they raise it again). Not on any benefits of any type-have hubbys works pension of about £460 per month and living off savings to top it up. All help appreciated.

mania112

If he paid max national insurance over his career (30 years) and you didn't (less than 30 years) I believe you're entitled to a top-up from his contributions.

kidmugsy

mania112 wrote: »

If he paid max national insurance over his career (30 years) and you didn't (less than 30 years) I believe you're entitled to a top-up from his contributions.

Will that still be true under the new regime?

SallyG

"Derived" basic state pension still available until April 2016?
....but have to reach your own state pension age before that to qualify?
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/265470/single-tier-derived-entitlement.pdf


"The facility which enables, in the current pension system, one party to a marriage or civil partnership (or former marriage / civil partnership) to use the other’s National Insurance record to gain entitlement to state pension originated in the 1940s.
This facility will be removed under the single-tier pension, with qualification for a state pension being wholly on an individual basis for individuals reaching State Pension age after 6 April 2016. The Government has already published a detailed note which
explains how the current system operates and how derived entitlement (and also the ability to inherit additional State Pension) will be withdrawn.
In summary, under the current system people with fewer than 18 qualifying years whose spouse or civil partner is still alive can access a “married person’s pension”, which can increase their basic State Pension (bSP) entitlement up to £66 per week
(approximately 60% of the full basic State Pension). People who are widowed and have fewer than 30 qualifying years, can access a “widow’s pension”, which can increase their basic State Pension entitlement up to the full basic State Pension amount (£110.15 in 2013/14).
Divorcees are able to access a Category A (substituted) pension which may give them a maximum of the full basic State Pension rate. The extent to which individuals may benefit is dependent on the National Insurance record of their spouse or civil partner (or former spouse or civil partner).
The removal of these provisions means that some individuals are projected to receive less state pension under the new system than they would have had the current system continued.

Dark_Star

If under pension age when your spouse passed away you used to be able to claim a widows benefit of some sort (varied according to age) IF he had paid enough national insurance.


Bereavement benefits

Your widowed legal husband, wife or civil partner may also be able to claim the following bereavement benefits:

• a one-off Bereavement Payment
• Bereavement Allowance for one year
• Widowed Parent’s Allowance (if they have a dependent child or children)

All these benefits will depend on the amount of National Insurance contributions you’ve paid, or are treated as having paid.
If they’re still of working age, they may also be able to claim tax credits.


This would then convert over to state pension when you reach state pension age.


Did you claim a national insurance based widows benefit ?


http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/what-happens-to-your-state-pension-when-you-die


Hope that helps. Benefits are a confusing minefield.

xylophone

http://www.pensionsadvisoryservice.org.uk/state-pensions/death-benefits

Were you eligible to claim the Bereavement Payment?

Were you eligible to claim the Bereavement Allowance?

See also https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/181235/derived-inherited-entitlement.pdf bearing in mind that single tier will begin 6 April 2016.

I will be able to retire in September 2014 apparently(unless they raise it again).

I don't quite understand what you mean by this - are you referring to the fact that you can access your own private pension then?

kidmugsy

xylophone wrote: »

I don't quite understand what you mean by this - are you referring to the fact that you can access your own private pension then?

Typo, I suspect, with 2014 => 2024.

atush

Will she still be able to inherit (as her foundation amt) half of his existing S2P?

xylophone

See page 12 and following of above link.

It is possible that the OP is entitled to state pension in her own right? She hasn't said.

She could obtain a state pension statement. https://www.gov.uk/state-pension-statement

angelatgraceland

He paid about 45 years and I've paid about 35 if you include Home responsibility protection. I've read somewhere that I get a portion of his state pension when I reach pension age but wondered if anyone know about that.

angelatgraceland

Yes-typo-I can retire in September 2024. So I guess that means that all he paid in for his retirement-about 45 years worth-I get no benefit from! He will be turning in his grave!!! Yes-I did get the bereavement payments-both of them. I've looked it up but pensions is not my forte! Therefore, any insight is helpful. I will phone them of course but I want to be armed with enough info to ask the right questions.
Yes I have been trying to get the statement via Government Gateway-they sent me the code but there is no link to put the stuff they sent me. I got into it once then couldn't get into it again. My printer is not working so I will have to phone them I suppose. They don't make it easy! I do not have a private pension. Nowhere I have worked has ever offered or provided one.