Widowed Parents Allowance

[j21212]

It's a complicated story but I receive Widowed Parents Allowance for my 17 year old step son. This month I reached my 65th Birthday - stopped work - got my first state pension and my WPA has stopped. I maybe naive but I just didn't expect this - I know it will stop later this year - and these few months without this are going to be tough. I've checked the .gov website and I can't see any reference to WPA stopping. I've phoned them and have been told that it does stop but they couldn't point me to anything in writing confirming this ...they just said apply for enhanced pension. Can anyone clarify the position - I'm really worried.

[Somerville]

This is in the eligibility criteria - you get WPA if you're under state pension age. So since you've reached state pension age you're no longer eligible.

www.gov.uk/widowed-parents-allowance/eligibility

Sorry it's left a hole in your finances.

WPA is actually being removed for new claimants and replaced with a smaller amount for only 18 months so there are going to be a lot of widows and widowers in very dire straits soon. But that's by the by and wouldn't have affected you anyway.

(So you mind me asking - did you adopt your step son? I thought only parents got WPA, after researching that myself when I remarried? Does getting parental responsibility count as well?