Widow - any access to husbands state pension

M_Ripley

Hi there

I wondered if someone could help with ‘widow pensions’

My father passed on at 51 in 2002. He worked from 15 and had paid his ‘full stamp’.

My mum was widowed at 49, and was given the advice up until 2016 (a year before her retirement) that she would receive 100% of his state pension. She budgeted for her own retirement accordingly.

Upon retiring my mother was told she no longer qualified for any of my fathers pensions (due to changes in legislation/qualification criteria). The main thrust of the rationale being my mother had a full state pension of her own, plus a private one through her employer (although this was Woolworths so she only received 90% of it).

My mother had struggled financially ever since and is releasing equity in her property to bridge this shortfall

Please can someone advise if this is the harsh reality of my mother’s situation - or is there anything she can claim/qualify for?

Cheers
Michael

drumtochty

Assuming she reached the state retirement age after April 2016 which you have confirmed. The only thing she can inherit from your late fathers pension is possibly half of any additional state pension he had built up until his death.


If he had any private or occupational pension she may have a claim on that.

Ms_Chocaholic

I don't want to sound disrespectful but is it worth doing some budgeting with your mum to find out ways to save her money to help her manage.

McKneff

Maybe put up an Soa of your mums incomings and outgoings.
if she owns a house, mortgage free, half your fathers additional state pension, a pension of her own
perhaps she she needs some help to budget.

McKneff

there has never been a time when a widower would inherit her deceased spouses 100% pension.
Maybe she has misunderstood the advice given at the time of grieving.

Marcon

M_Ripley wrote: »

My mum was widowed at 49, and was given the advice up until 2016 (a year before her retirement) that she would receive 100% of his state pension. She budgeted for her own retirement accordingly.

Without precise dates of birth for your mum and dad it's hard to be certain. Have you read through this: https://www.gov.uk/new-state-pension/inheriting-or-increasing-state-pension-from-a-spouse-or-civil-partner

M_Ripley

That’s the process we are going thru now

Triumph13

I suspect that the confusion may have arisen from the fact that a wife used to be able to 'inherit' her husband's NI record and therefore get a full state pension if she didn't qualify for one in her own right.

Pollycat

I wonder who the adviser was who gave the advice that the OP's Mum would receive 100% of her late husband's state pension (which wasn't in payment at the time of his death).

xylophone

See https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/181235/derived-inherited-entitlement.pdf

Rich2808

McKneff wrote: »

there has never been a time when a widower would inherit her deceased spouses 100% pension.
Maybe she has misunderstood the advice given at the time of grieving.

If someone died before 6 October 2002 - as I assume applies here - their spouse could inherit 100% of their SERPS/Additional state pension irrespective of age. If they die post 6 October 2002 then it ranges from 50% to 100% depending on the age of both deceased and spouse.

https://www.gov.uk/additional-state-pension/inheriting

So its not 100% of the state pension the OP's mum is likely to inherit - but 100% of the additional SP/SERPS top up assuming the date of death was pre 6 October 2002. But that may of course be zero or small if they didn't have this - which is quite possible if they had an occupational pension.