Ruling that may help 2,000 families a year

MORE than 2,000 families are in Siobhan McLaughlin’s position every year, according to experts.

The Child Bereavement Network says grieving families face a ‘double hit’ of losing a parent – and the surviving adult realising they and the children are not eligible for bereavement benefits.

Current eligibility criteria for receiving a widowed parent’s allowance states claimants must have been married or in a civil partnership when the partner died. They must also have been being eligible for child benefit, and the late partner must have made sufficient National Insurance contributions.

The allowance is paid for as long as children who are eligible for child benefit are up to 20 if they remain in education or 16 if they go out to work.

Yesterday’s ruling may benefit the 1.2 million couples in the UK who ‘cohabit’ and have children but are not married.

Although the eligibility criteria has not changed, the ruling may help unmarried parents to fight for future payments.