Inherited SERPS

meme1________

I was widowed in 1988.  I was 40 years old. My daughter was 16 years old. My husband was 41 years old.
I received widowed mothers allowance, and after a dispute with the pensions service, who told me I was not entitled to inherited SERPS added to the widowed mothers allowance, I was awarded an extra payment of my late husbands SERPS, because they had given the wrong advice.   He was not contracted out.My widowed mothers allowance ended when my daughter was 19 years old.  The SERPS stopped also.  As I was under 45 years old I was not entitled to a widows pension,
When I retired I expected the SERPS element to be reinstated, but it was not.  
I have inherited a small amount of his graduated pension, but no SERPS at all.  As SERPS replaced graduated pension, I would have thought that would have been payable too.  The DWP say not.

molerat

I think this may be the reason

If you get Widowed Parent’s Allowance

You may inherit Additional State Pension before you reach State Pension age. You’ll stop receiving it if your Widowed Parent’s Allowance ends.

You may receive it again when you reach State Pension age if you were over 45 when you were entitled to Widowed Parent’s Allowance.

If your Widowed Parent’s Allowance or Bereavement Allowance ended before you were 55, you’ll receive less Additional State Pension.

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

xylophone

As far as I understand it, (see below from Decision Makers' Guide 2014) as your husband (and father of your daughter) died post 11/4/88 when you were under age 45 and your daughter was aged under 19, you had an entitlement to a basic element of WMA and an additional element of WMA (based on your late husband's SERPS).

AP is earnings-related. It is calculated by using any surpluses in the late husband’s earnings for the tax years from 1978/79 and ends with the last complete tax year before he would have reached pensionable age up to a maximum of 49 years1. For WMA purposes an AP consists of SERPS (see DMG 58250). 

The WMA (basic and additional) ended once your daughter became 19.

Does the Guide below throw any light on your situation with regard to state pension?


https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/505280/np-45-withdrawn-040316.pdf

Bloominghe

It seems as though I am not entitled because I was too young to get widows pension!

Marcon

Bloominghe said:

It seems as though I am not entitled because I was too young to get widows pension!

That must feel like a double blow, but I think the underlying rationale is that because you were widowed so young, you would have time to work/earn/build up retirement benefits in your own right.

Bloominghe

But when you haven’t worked for 17 years that can be really hard to do.

Bloominghe

And as my husband had contributed to SERPS for 10 years, hoping for some provision for me in case of anything happening, who got that provision?

xylophone

And as my husband had contributed to SERPS for 10 years, hoping for some provision for me in case of anything happening, who got that provision?

His SERPS supported the additional element of your WMA.