Widowed Parent's Allowance

Elle_ls

I'm keen to highlight an issue of confusion (and frustration) that has arisen since I applied for Widowed Parent's Allowance under the new rules which came in from 2018 under the following eligibility:   If your partner died on or between 9 April 2001 and 5 April 2017 (inclusive of), you can make a backdated claim for widowed parent's allowance if you met the eligibility criteria for it on or after 30 August 2018. So the anomaly arose where I can meet the eligibility criteria in part, as my partner died before 2017, however, the child/children must apparently be in receipt of child benefit after 30 August 2018. The DWP said this has caused confusion for those people in the qualifying group before 2017, but fail at the last hurdle because their children are no longer in receipt of benefit after that date. I wonder how many parents are in this situation of losing out. As there is no allowance for the historic group of mothers waiting all these years for the law to change only find out they are excluded due to the child benefit requirement? (After all if you have a group of mothers who unfortunately lost their partner starting at 2001 their children will more than likely no longer be receiving child benefit by 2018).   

sheramber

Eligibility is based on the position at 30 August 2018 as that is the date the change in the law is effective from , that being the the  claim was lodged. Many sources did not pick this up and were giving out the wrong information.

just_charley78

It's terrible to still not be acknowledged. My partner died in 2010 and left me with 2 children. I wrote to my mp and government at the time and received a letter from no.10 as I had been told I "wasn't classed as family"  
Now there was a glimmer of hope but still nothing. We are the forgotten widows.