Pensions

[thumbscrew]

Can a widow claim widows state pension if her husband has committed suicide?

[fiction-factory]

If she would be entitled to widow's state pension if he had died by any other means then I see absolutely no reason why the entitlement wouldn't also be there if the cause of death was suicide. I have never seen any reference to exclusions for suicide in anything on the Gov.Uk websites

[EDDIE51]

Yes, a widow is a widow no matter how her husband died.

[thumbscrew]

Many thanks for the answers

[ubasses]

There is no longer such a thing as a widows pension, what she will qualify for is dependent on her age and whether she has children.
Have a look at the Govt site:
https://www.gov.uk/bereavement-allowance

[New Judge]

I think thumbscrew’s enquiry referred more to the normal State Pension rather than the “bereavement Allowance” (which was previously called a “widow’s pension). The former is payable until the recipient dies. The latter is payable only for a year following the spouse’s death (it is payable to bereaved men as well as women) and the recipient has to be over 45 but below State Pension age.

Until 2001 women could receive a State Pension based on their husband’s NI contributions. This is no longer the case and they now receive it, in line with men, based on their own NI contributions. There is nothing barring them from claiming a State Pension if their husband had taken his own life but, in line with all other women, they do not receive it until they reach State Pension retirement age (which is currently being increased but for someone born in January 1954 is roughly 65 years and three months).

[woofgang]

that's intersting NJ. My husband died in 2011 and at the time I was told that his contributions could count towards my state pension as he had never claimed his own. later thsat proved not to be the case of course.

[thumbscrew]

Many thanks New judge both the people in my question are receiving state pension.

[Jackdaw33]

A funny tale. Many years ago I worked for the Ministry of Social Security, now called the DWP. A senior colleague told me of the time that he received a claim for a widow's pension. The problem was that the date of death was 14 days after that of the claim. This was queried and back came the answer, "They're are hanging him in a fortnight".

[fiction-factory]

> both the people in my question are receiving state pension.

So this is just a hypothetical question? If so, both parties could check with the DWP. It's worth consulting Samaritans or a doctor too if suicide is a real possibility

[Peter Pedant]

blimey thanks for the anwsers everyone
came as a shock (to me)