State pension question

Cat_Loving_Lady

My mother who is 72 currently receives £98 a week state pension. This to me seems very low, she worked on and off but spent a lot of her years raising her family. She is married but my Father is currently terminally ill. Will she receive more once she is a widow plus does anyone know why it is currently so low. I read somewhere if you do not have full qualifying years you can use your husbands no contributions to claim. She can't really live off £98 a week once on her own.

drumtochty

Phone the state pension people and find out, make sure she is there in order that they can identify her and she can give permission for you to assist.


In that case you are getting a direct answer not an answer from someone on the forum you cannot quote in the future

xylophone

The amount that she is receiving is more than the pension she would be able to claim on your father's contributions although less than a full state pension.

Presumably she receives less than a full state pension because she did not have enough contributions /credits under the old scheme (39 years for a woman).

https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/what-to-do-about-someones-pension-when-theyve-died

There could also be the possibility of pension credit if she is on a low income.

http://www.ageuk.org.uk/Documents/EN-GB/Factsheets/FS48_Pension_Credit_fcs.pdf?dtrk=true

Does your father have an occupational/private pension which offers benefits to his widow?

Alter_ego

She can claim up to 60% of a full pension on her husbands contributions, but she already gets more.