Our legal challenge to change the law for nonmarried couples
Our briefing summarises the situation.
In August 2018, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of mother-of-four Siobhan McLaughlin, who had appealed her ineligibility to Widowed Parent's Allowance. She had been with her partner for 23 years before he died. Read our joint statement with the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) here. We intervened in Siobhan McLaughlin's case, and our submissions can be read here. We were able to intervene after receiving pro bono support from specialist public lawyers at national law firm Irwin Mitchell and human rights barrister Stephen Broach from Monckton Chambers.
In February 2020, the High Court ruled in favour of two fathers and their children, who had been denied Bereavement Support Payment because they were not married to the children's mothers. Our Director gave a witness statement to the Court. Read our joint statement with CPAG here.
The Government has announced it will not appeal this judgment. It is now for Government to bring forward legislation to amend the eligibility rules and we are urging them to do this as quickly as possible.