CAB issues widowed benefits alert

Men who lost their wives before 2001 may now be entitled to widows benefit – but they have no time to lose, the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) has said.

The Northern Ireland branch of the charity is alerting men whose wives died before 9 April 2001 that they may be able to claim widow’s benefit or widowed mother’s allowance following a European Court of Human Rights ruling. However they must act quickly as the deadline for claims is only three weeks away.

“Citizens Advice welcomes the European Court of Human Rights ruling that it was discriminatory to deny men the same benefits as women if their spouse died," CAB Director of Information Services John Napier said.

“We now want to make sure that men whose wives died before 9 April 2001 know that they may now be able to make a claim for widow’s benefit or widowed mother’s allowance.

“People should contact their local Benefit office to get advice as soon as possible if they think they might be eligible and could benefit from the new ruling.”

Before 2001 widow’s benefit or widowed mother’s allowance was only available to women. The European Court of Human Rights has now decided that it was discriminatory for men to be denied these benefits.

(MB/SP)