Widowers still missing out

Some widowers are being treated differently from widows by the tax and benefit system despite law changes.

The Parliamentary Ombudsman has told MPs that widowed men are still being barred from claiming widowed mother's allowance, a widow's pension and an annual tax allowance of £1,970.

Men were supposed to be eligible for all three following the Finance Act 1999 and the Welfare Reform Act 1999.

But these Acts did not come into force until April 2001 and some men widowed prior to this date have taken the UK government to the European Court of Human Rights.

In total the Ombudsman has received 72 complaints against the Inland Revenue and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) from widowers.

They say they are being treated unfairly because, unlike those who took their cases to court, they are still being denied benefits and tax allowances.