Your benefits, tax and pension after the death of a partner

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Pensions

You may be able to get extra pension payments from your husband, wife or civil partner’s pension or National Insurance contributions.

State Pension

You need to be over State Pension age to claim extra payments from your husband, wife or civil partner’s State Pension.

What you get and how you claim will depend on whether you reached State Pension age before or after 6 April 2016.

Contact the Pension Service to check what you can claim.

If you reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016

You’ll get any State Pension based on your husband, wife or civil partner’s National Insurance contribution when you claim your own pension.

You will not get it if you remarry or form a new civil partnership before you reach State Pension age.

If you reached State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016

You’ll receive the ‘new State Pension’ and you may be able to inherit an extra payment on top of your pension.

Private pensions

You may get payments from your husband, wife or civil partner’s workplace, personal or stakeholder pension - it will depend on the pension scheme. Contact the pension scheme to find out.

You’ll have to pay tax on those payments if the pension provider does not pay it for you.

War Widow’s or Widower’s Pension

You may be able to get War Widow’s or Widower Pension - if your husband, wife or civil partner died because of their service in the Armed Forces or because of a war.

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Part of What to do when someone dies: step by step

  1. Step 1 Register the death

    1. Register the death

    Check what to do if:

  2. Step 2 Tell government about the death

    The Tell Us Once service allows you to inform all the relevant government departments when someone dies.

    1. Use the Tell Us Once service to tell government
    2. If you cannot use Tell Us Once, tell government yourself

    You'll also need to tell banks, utility companies, and landlords or housing associations yourself.

  3. Step 3 Arrange the funeral

    1. Arrange the funeral
    2. Get help paying for a funeral
    3. Get help paying for a child's funeral

  4. Step 4 Check if you can get bereavement benefits

    You might be eligible for financial help.

    Check if you can get:

  5. and Deal with your own benefits, pension and taxes

    Your tax, benefit claims and pension might change depending on your relationship with the person who died.

    1. Manage your tax, pensions and benefits if your partner has died
    2. Check how benefits are affected if a child dies

  6. and Find bereavement support and services

    Get help with managing grief and the things you need to do when someone dies.

    1. Find bereavement help and support
    2. Find bereavement services from your local council

  7. and Check if you need to apply to stay in the UK

    If your right to live in the UK depends on your relationship with someone who died you might need to apply for a new visa.

    Check the rules if:

    1. Contact UKVI to check the rules for other visas

  8. Step 5 Value the estate and check if you need to pay Inheritance Tax

    To find out if there’s Inheritance Tax to pay, you need to estimate the value of the property, money and possessions (the ‘estate’) of the person who died.

    1. Estimate the value of the estate to find out if you need to pay Inheritance Tax
    1. Find out how to report the value of the estate
    1. Pay Inheritance Tax if it’s due

  9. Step 6 Apply for probate

    You might need to apply for probate before you can deal with the property, money and possessions (the ‘estate’) of the person who died.

    1. Check if you need to apply for probate
    1. Apply for probate

  10. Step 7 Deal with the estate

    Pay any debts or taxes owed by the person who's died. You can then distribute the estate as set out in the will or the law.

    1. Deal with the estate
    1. Update property records