BENEFITS FOR WIDOWS AND WIDOWERS

Widows/Widowers Allowance

To qualify:

• you must have been married for at least 3 years; and
• your deceased spouse must have satisfied the two conditions required for a Contributory Old Age Pension.

The allowance is paid for the first 26 weeks after the death of the spouse, but this may continue for a further period if:

• you are incapable of self support;
• or you have dependent child(ren) under school leaving age; or
• you are over the age of 50.

Widows/Widowers Gratuity

You may be entitled to receive a gratuity if your late spouse paid into the scheme but failed to meet the contribution conditions to allow you to qualify for an allowance.

The gratuity is a refund of the total value of contributions paid on behalf of the deceased person.