Widow - state pension

shaven76

Hi

my father dies last week and I’m wondering if my mum will get her pension topped up using my dads contributions ?
mum only gets around £320 a month while my dad received the full state pension after working over 50 years 

they were both born in 1944 and married from 1965 until my dad passed away last week 

I’ve tried Googling this question but no definitive answer / yard stick as to if my mum would have her own pension increased now my dad has passed away 

any advice appreciated 

ellie99

I haven't time right now to find anything official online, but I can tell you that my parents circumstances were very much the same as you described (although they were born in the 1930s).
Dad died last year and my mother's pension was increased to the full amount. I used the Tell Us Once service, and didn't even have to contact the DWP, just received a letter telling us it was being increased. Very easy.

shaven76

ellie99 said:

I haven't time right now to find anything official online, but I can tell you that my parents circumstances were very much the same as you described (although they were born in the 1930s).
Dad died last year and my mother's pension was increased to the full amount. I used the Tell Us Once service, and didn't even have to contact the DWP, just received a letter telling us it was being increased. Very easy.

Thanks for your reply 
I’ve been trying to look online but can to find an answer either way 
I just assumed my mums pension would increase ( hopefully ) to roughly the full state pension as my dad had paid into the system for 50 years starting in 1960 until 2010 
he received the full state pension but my mum only £325 so hoping mum gets some or all of dads contributions 

guess the only way we will know is by ringing the DWP 

p00hsticks

When did you mum and dad reach State Pension Age ?- the rules on inheriting State Pension changed in 2016

Your mother needs to contact the Pension Service - although if you've used the Tell Us Once service when registering the death they should already be aware of your father's death

https://www.gov.uk/contact-pension-service

https://www.gov.uk/state-pension/inheritance

shaven76

p00hsticks said:

When did you mum and dad reach State Pension Age ?- the rules on inheriting State Pension changed in 2016

Your mother needs to contact the Pension Service - although if you've used the Tell Us Once service when registering the death they should already be aware of your father's death

https://www.gov.uk/contact-pension-service

https://www.gov.uk/state-pension/inheritance

p00hsticks said:

When did you mum and dad reach State Pension Age ?- the rules on inheriting State Pension changed in 2016

Your mother needs to contact the Pension Service - although if you've used the Tell Us Once service when registering the death they should already be aware of your father's death

https://www.gov.uk/contact-pension-service

https://www.gov.uk/state-pension/inheritance

both my parents are 77 so will have reached pension age over 10 years ago 

they were born in 1944

What do you mean regards the rules changing in 2016 ? 

Thanks 

xylophone

When did you mum and dad reach State Pension Age ?- the rules on inheriting State Pension changed in 2016

As the OP said

they were both born in 1944 

and therefore Mother reached SPA in around 2004 and Father around 2009, the change from the old SP system to the new in 2016 is irrelevant to their circumstances.

xylophone

I’ve been trying to look online 

Try p 28, p30 and p56 for some guidance but if she has not done so already, your mother should contact DWP  concerning her pension entitlement. 

https://www.taxation.co.uk/docs/default-source/file/np46-guide-to-state-pensions.pdf

shaven76

xylophone said:

When did you mum and dad reach State Pension Age ?- the rules on inheriting State Pension changed in 2016

As the OP said

they were both born in 1944 

and therefore Mother reached SPA in around 2004 and Father around 2009, the change from the old SP system to the new in 2016 is irrelevant to their circumstances.

I was just wanting to know if there was a simple yard stick as to how a widows husbands state pension could be used to top up her own state pension when she only currently receives around £325 per month 

ive read online things like 50% of dads state pension contributions can be transferred to mums state pension but then this doesn’t seem to be so straight forward 

surely some of my dads pension will be given to my mum ?

comeandgo

My mum was in similar situation as your mum.  With pension credits and all the rent and council discounts she ended up being well cared for financially.  My mum did get pensions carried over from dad.

Alter_ego

She is probably entitled to Pension Credit

shaven76

Alter_ego said:

She is probably entitled to Pension Credit

Is this something the DWP will sort or do I have to do this personally for my mum ?
also , have you any idea how this works as to amounts etc ? Does it too my min up to the full state pension amount like my dad was receiving 

Thanks