Hi,
my mum has recently passed away of bowel cancer. Previous to my mum’s diagnosis he worked self employed. He is now worrying about finances as my mum received £1000 in pensions with a small amount from attendance allowance. Is there anything he can claim as a widow? Does he still get her pension? Thanks I’m advance
Hi
Thanks for getting in touch. I’m so sorry to hear about your mothers passing. If either yourself or your family need any emotional support, then please give our Information & Support Team a call on 0808 808 0000 or speak to them via webchat. They’re available 8am-8pm, 7 days a week.
It’s quite common for pensions in payment to have spouse provisions, but it does depend on the type of pension your mum was receiving. The most common in an annuity or defined benefit scheme for example, is a ‘spouse pension’. This is where your dad would receive a percentage of the pension, such as 50%, on a monthly basis. Occasionally, certain pensions can pay out a lump sum on death if there was still money left in the pension pot. If you contact the pension provider directly, they should be able to explain what provisions are available.
As part of our Money and Work Team, we have a dedicated group of Welfare Rights Advisers that I feel would be good for you to talk too. They can check if your dad is entitled to any state benefits and can help to access other financial support, such as one-off grants or a state widows pension. You can contact them on freephone 0808 808 0000 and they’re available weekdays 8am – 8pm and weekends 9am – 5pm. If you’d prefer you can also contact them via webchat here by selecting “Chat to us” and then the “Welfare Benefits & Grants” option.
They will ask you for some financial details such as household income, amount of any savings, cost of rent/mortgage, council tax and utilities just to see if any other help is available.
We have an Energy Advice Team who look at what support may be available in relation to energy such as Gas, Electric and water bills. After having a chat with our Welfare Rights Team, they can arrange for you to speak to the Energy Team if necessary.
As Financial Guides, we can also discuss areas such as insurances and mortgages. Do you know if there were any life insurance policies that your mum had? Is there an outstanding mortgage that your dad will be responsible for? Please feel free to get in touch to discuss in more detail. The Financial Guidance Team are available 8am-6pm Mon-Fri on 0808 808 0000.
Yours Sincerely,
Joe
Financial Guide
The Financial Guidance Service will not advise you on the merits of buying, selling, cancelling or making a claim on a specific financial product from any company or otherwise provide you with any regulated services. As a guidance service, we do not provide financial advice or carry on other activities that are regulated and we are not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. No part of our service constitutes, nor is intended to constitute, a financial promotion within the meaning of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 nor an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity.
The aim of the Financial Guidance Service is to provide you with information to help you make informed decisions about your personal finances. For financial advice, including recommendations to buy, sell, cancel or make a claim on specific financial products or to obtain any other type of financial services, you should speak to a financial adviser or company who is permitted to provide you with those services. You can find a local financial advice firm or other type of firm who provides regulated services on the Financial Conduct Authority's website - https://register.fca.org.uk/directory/s/.
The information that we provide you is for general guidance on your rights and responsibilities and is not legal advice. We are not liable to you for any information or services obtained by you from, or given to you by, a third party.
If you need more details on your rights, please contact a financial, legal or other appropriate professional adviser
If you need more details on your rights, please contact a financial, legal or other appropriate adviser.
DATA PROTECTION STATEMENT: We have used your details to fulfil your request and recorded them on our database so that we can provide you with the best possible support every time you contact us.
We promise to always keep your details safe and we will never sell or swap your details. If you wish to update or remove your details, please let us know anytime by emailing contact@macmillan.org.uk or calling 0300 1000 200.
Please see our privacy policy for more information at www.macmillan.org.uk
