Widow's Pension

[Moulin]

Fortunately my husband is still alive and kicking - however I am confused about my standing for a widow's pension on his national insurance contributions.

I understand that if he dies, because we live outside the UK I shall not be eligible for a widow's pension from his contributions. I would be eligible if he was retired before leaving the UK and I was of age to receive on,

Can anyone come up with a solution?

I have worked about 13 years - was bringing up children the rest of the time. However here I thought that being in receipt of child benefit qualified me for pension rights!!! Silly me!

I believe if this was taken to the European Courts I would indeed receive a pension - but I am not sure I can afford that.

Jan

[Coral]

I think you will get an NHS widows pension based on your husband's payments on top of the pension from your own contributions. Unless of course the rules have changed in the past one year. You can check with the DS. I understand that you can get advice about the amount you might get.

In my case, we both paid in for about 13 years until we moved to Japan (husband's job). We became non-residents and at 60 I got a small pension from UK based on my contributions but was informed that living in Japan I would not get the periodic increases. At 65 my husband also got a pension based on his contributions and they increased mine with a wife's share.
In June last year at 66 my husband passed away and my pension was then reassessed and had a "widow's mite" added.

Whether someone gets the periodic increases living in France as I will be doing later this year, I don't know.
Hope this helps.