Bereaved Partner’s (Non-Contributory) Pension

A Bereaved Partner’s (Non-Contributory) Pension is a means-tested payment. It is paid to a bereaved partner who does not qualify for the PRSI-based Bereaved Partner’s (Contributory) Pension.

It is a payment for bereaved partners who do not have dependent children. People with dependent children should apply for the One-Parent Family Payment or Jobseeker's Transitional payment.

A partner can be a husband, wife, civil partner or cohabitant. A cohabitant will only qualify for the Bereaved Partner’s (Non-Contributory) Pension if their partner’s death occurred on or after 21 July 2025.

This payment was called the Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Non-Contributory) Pension. In July 2025, it was renamed to include cohabitants (cohabitating couples). A cohabiting couple is a couple that lives together in an intimate and committed relationship, who are not married to each other and not in a civil partnership.

Budget 2026

From January 2026, the maximum weekly rate of Bereaved Partner’s (Non-Contributory) Pension will increase by €10.

To qualify for the Bereaved Partner’s (Non-Contributory) Pension:

• You must be a spouse, civil partner or cohabitant of the deceased. If you are a cohabitant, you must have been cohabiting for a continous period of at least 5 years
• Pass a means test
• Be habitually resident in the State
• Be aged under 66 (if you are 66 or over, you can apply for the State Pension (Non-Contributory instead)

If you re-marry or start to cohabit, your Bereaved Partner’s (Non-Contributory) Pension will no longer be payable.

The Bereaved Partner’s (Non-Contributory) Pension is a payment for partners who do not have dependent children. People with dependent children should apply for the One-Parent Family Payment or Jobseeker's Transitional payment.

If your relationship had ended

Separation, annulment or stopped cohabitating

You will not get a Bereaved Partner’s (Non-Contributory) Pension if you had lived apart and were not in an intimate and committed relationship for a period of at least 2 years immediately before the date of death of your partner. A relationship can continue to be ‘intimate’ even if it is not sexual.

Divorce or dissolution of a civil partnership

If you are divorced or your civil partnership was dissolved, and the death of your partner occurs on or after 21 July 2025, you will not get the Bereaved Partner’s (Non-Contributory) Pension.

If you are divorced or your civil partnership was dissolved and the death of your partner occurred before 21 July 2025 and you would have been entitled to a Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Non-Contributory) Pension had you remained married or in your civil partnership, you can keep your entitlement to the payment (now called the Bereaved Partner’s (Non-Contributory) Pension) as long as you continue to meet the qualifying conditions.

The means test

Your means are any income you have or property (except your own home) or an asset that could bring in money or provide you with an income.

Your means are assessed using specific rules under the following headings:

• Cash income (including income from work)
• Value of capital (for example, savings, investments, cash on hand and property but not your own home)
• Income from property personally used

Cash income and income from work

Any cash income you have is assessed in the means test. This includes income from a social security pension from another country. However, certain items of cash income are not taken into account in the means test. For example, earnings of up to €100 per week from employment (but not self-employment) are not taken into account. Any income from work above €100 is assessed as means.

More information is available in our page about cash income not taken into account in the means test.

Capital and property not personally used

Savings, investments, cash on hand and any property you own (but not your own home) is assessed as capital. All your capital from different sources is added together and a special formula is then used to find your weekly means from capital.

The property and investments that may be assessed under this heading include savings in a bank account (or anywhere else), a house that you have let, and stocks and shares. You may or may not be getting an income from the property or investment. Income from property already assessed on its capital value is not assessed in the means test - see 'Cash income' above.

More information is available in our page on how capital and property is assessed as means.

Income from your home (such as rent)

The value of the house you live in is not taken into account in the means test. Income you are getting from your home (for example renting a room) can be taken into account. However, the following exceptions apply:

• You are living alone: If renting out the room means that you would not be living alone, then your income from rent is not taken into account.
• You are not living alone: You can get up to €269.23 a week (€14,000 per year) from renting a room in your home without it affecting your Bereaved Partner’s (Non-Contributory) Pension. The person renting a room in your home must use the room for a minimum of 28 consecutive days and not be an employee or immediate family member.

You should check if renting a room in your home will affect your Fuel Allowance.

The Accommodation Recognition Payment for hosting refugees from Ukraine is not assessed in the means test for the Bereaved Partner’s (Non-Contributory) Pension.

Total means

Your means under the various headings are added together to see what level of pension, if any, you can get.

The first €7.60 per week of means as assessed by the Department of Social Protection does not affect the rate of pension. After that, the pension is reduced by €2.50 each week for every €2.50 of means.

This pension is taxable but you are unlikely to pay tax if it is your only income.

Extra benefits

If you are getting a Bereaved Partner's Pension (Non-Contributory) you may qualify for Fuel Allowance (if you are living alone or with certain 'specified' people).

If you are aged 60 to 65 and your late spouse or civil partner was getting a Household Benefits Package at the time of their death, you may qualify for a Household Benefits Package.

You may also qualify for help with funeral expenses and rent under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance Scheme.

You can only apply for the Bereaved Partner's (Non-Contributory) Pension by post. Download and complete a Bereaved Partner's Pension application form. You can also get an application form from the post office.

If you are unhappy with a decision made on your claim, you can appeal against it. Find out more about the social welfare appeals process.

You must always tell the Department of Social Protection if there are any changes to your circumstances while you are getting a a Bereaved Partner's Pension (Non-Contributory). If your means or circumstances change, you may no longer qualify for the payment or it may be reduced. This could mean that you have to repay an overpayment.

If you wish to talk to someone face-to-face about your pension entitlements, you can visit your local Citizens Information Centre, Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office.