That cutting benefits to widow/ers with young children by over twenty thousand pounds is heartless and cruel?

[Somerville]

My DH was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2013 and died in 2014. During both the period he was ill, and immediately afterwards, it was extremely difficult for me to continue working. A well as caring for him and then dealing with the huge administrative burden, I have children for whom continuing to attend school every day and 'cope' with normal life was impossible. Alongside all that I had to somehow try to find a way to live with my own grief. And then get out and learn a living - as a freelancer I'd have had no income at all unless I continued to work.

The bereavement benefits I received helped me immeasurably.

• I got a bereavement payment of £2000 which helped cover the immediate few months after his death when I could barely get dressed - let alone work.

• I also got a monthly amount of widowed parents allowance - about £450. (Non means tested but taxable, meaning that as my earnings increased I returned some of this to the government through my tax bill. However, I knew the safety net was there when my earnings dropped again - as indeed they did at one point when one of my children could only manage half days at school.)

I've remarried so no longer qualify - fair enough - but if hadn't I'd have received this until my youngest child left school.

However, the support available for parents who are experience the devastation of becoming widowed after April 1st this year is changing.

• £3,500 immediately.
• £100 per month for the next 18 months.

That's it.

Research by the Childhood Bereavement Network (CBN) suggests 91% of widowed parents will be supported for a shorter period of time than they would under the current system, which can pay out until the youngest child leaves school. It says the typical working family will lose out on more than £12,000, and expects a working parent with young children to lose even more – £23,500 on average. link here

Widowed parents are lone parents without any shared care with an ex partner. Without any maintenance payments from a former partner. And with bereaved, confused and devastated children.

How about it MN? Am I unreasonable to think this change is cruel? And if not, what can I do about it?

fluffy.

I think this is a situation where each case needs reviewing separately. And there are no so many that it couldn't be done.

A father dying young unexpectedly and leaving wife and dcs - surely that's a clear-cut case. Less so is an 80+-year-old marrying someone much, much younger with existing dcs. Distant relative has done just this.

fluffy

Toast I refuse to think of it as a benefit though any more than a state pensionis a benefit.
I know technically it is but do you also think the state pension is too generous?
40000 people are year claiming is a drop in the ocean in the " benefits bill" .

Less so is an 80+-year-old marrying someone much, much younger with existing dcs. Distant relative has done just this.

His widow wouldn't get WPA under the current system unless he has adopted her children, and they are still dependants (under 18) at the time of his death.

When I say technically a benefit I mean that is how the government class it. I certainly do not.
Fluffy I am so sorry 💐

Thank you for the hopefully I've got a few years left but it's one of those things that you just think would never happen to you and then it doe and you realise how much there is to think about and deal with and any extra help and money that can be accessed is welcome.

"Ministers claim the Government needs to reform the allowance because single parents can become dependent on it and have their prospects of finding a job hindered."
It ok the government are just worried the money will stop bereaved single parents from finding employment

Yes despite the evidence that charities and even the select committee put forward to show quite the opposite. That WPA has a long history of enabling widowed parents to return to work.

I'm pleased you may have a few more years fluffy, but sorry that you have additional worries about your family finances on top of everything else. The thing that makes me the saddest is remembering how devastated DH was about leaving us and how worried he was about us.

I only used the term benefit as that's what lots of other including the government have used. The new regulations will be called the Bereaved Support Payments Reg 2017. I think Bereavement allowance or widowed parents allowance is a better term.

fluffyWhiteKittens.

It's semantics and doesn't particularly matter. But I called both the current and proposed payments benefits in my OP because I do think both counts as one under the general definition. Which is "a payment made by the state or an insurance scheme to someone entitled to receive it."

I think it depends.

Are widows/widowers not allowed to claim the same benefits as single parents? If so, I agree having a lump sum payment initially with a small additional monthly payment for a period of time seems fair.

If they cannot claim the same benefits as a single parent, then absolutely they should get more support.

I also think that there should be more public information/promotion about the importance of things like life insurance/income protection insurance etc. I have these, precisely to protect my family if I should become seriously ill/become unable to work or die whilst they are still dependents. We have some responsibility too, rather than just reliance on the state.

You can't claim unemployment benefit because you are too grief stricken to work.

if you are a Carer and the person you look after dies Carers Allowance runs on for 8 weeks only. You can claim Universal Credit which is means tested. If you have any savings you will have to spend these before the low capital limit is reached and you become eligible. I think this is the real race to the bottom, only those people who have no or little savings will be eligible for further support from Universal Credit
If your youngest child is 5 I think then you have to find work. If you are grief stricken/ depressed and unable to work you will have to pass all the disability tests to become eligible for universal credit. If not then you will be deemed as being available for work and will have to prove that you are job seeking . In the report linked above it suggests that your "job coach" will have a little discretion (before you are sanctioned???)
I cannot believe the DWP believe that 18 months is sufficient to get you back into the workforce if you have previously become a Carer and you suffer a bereavement and have children to consider

Well putAntiopa12.

Just wanted to add that if you were previously claiming tax credits as a couple then I think death of a spouse counts as a change of circumstances leading to a potential transfer to UC.

To all those advocating "insurance" many who die prematurely are uninsurable and the capital limits in the welfare system quickly negate the value of a lump sum.

The £100 monthly payment is for those without children.

Quite a stark difference.

Like i said upthread Antiopa Grieving is going to become a "luxury" that only the well off can afford.

I've no clue how hard loosing a close loved one must be. It just seems life insurance has to be the way to go now and a WILL don't forget the will

DH could not have got life insurance. He grew up in a time when smoking was considered to be safe which is still in living memory. He smoked from a young age and there are many like him suffering from smoking related diseases as a result.

"More DOCTORS smoke Camels than any other cigarette.

For those who can then Helena

My previous post on UC was a bit jumbled.
I have checked now.
The capital limit on being eligible for UC is £16000 There is some tapering in the amount of UC if you have savings between £5000 to £16000.

In the Parliamentary report linked above one of the issues with Universal Credit are work search requirements

"Work search requirements for UC claimants will be relaxed for bereaved individuals. The surviving spouse in receipt of UC will not have any work search or availability requirements imposed on them for the first 6 months following bereavement"
" Conditionality on work search - they can apply for an additional one month suspension once every six months for up to 2 years"

SO OP perhaps a relaxation of work search requirements until 2 years without having to request the suspensions every 6 months would be helpful for those who are still struggling?

In the other persons defence I don't know mine and never will. So there's no spontaneous texting, given the regard given to people like me born when I was. All avenues have been chased, plus it was a ONS so minimal details anyway conceived in London so hundreds of miles away.

Didn't see last page.

Really sorry Fluffy it must be an awful time for you. Are DH's earnings in line with WTC & getting childcare? Thinking of you being post chemo with children, unless they keep you in for a few days. Hope you can make all the memories you can, my SIL had a terminal illness she got these books called Dear Mum where she could write all her memories down for her children, everything she loved about them. It's one of their most treasured keepsakes. Really hope the treatment isn't affecting you too badly and your pain needs are addressed. The McMillan nurses are superb at sorting out all your needs, they can make sure you get a syringe driver for pain relief and anti sickness. Then you have extra on top you can administer. No one is begrudging anyone anything, I do know that Carers allowance is minimal money wise & you have to only work silly hours a week, yet you can get home and be caring for someone for way more than the needed hours to qualify. Yet in other countries you get a fair amount for caring for someone which is a big responsibility. It's a shame but thankfully it turns out the deficit is £100 less, which will make a difference to many, but to big earners less so. Yes it's horrible to lose a spouse, even worse with children. A mother locally took her own life but wasn't married so I doubt the Father gets anything but bare minimum benefits, he had a baby to look after. Horrible, horrible situation.