A widow's pension is a payment from the government of a country to a person whose spouse has died.
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Generally, such payments are made to a widow whose late spouse has satisfied the country's requirements, including contribution, cohabitation, and length of marriage.
United States
In the United States, the widow's pension was introduced in the Senate in 1930.
In 2003, Congress approved a payment of $11,750 of widow's pension owed to Harriet Tubman.
United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, the Widow’s Pension was discontinued in 2001. A widow's pension can be paid to childless widows age 45 or over, or to those whose husband died before September 4, 2001.
When it was offered, for a woman to qualify, her husband must have paid 25 flat-rate contributions before April 6, 1975.
Israel
In Israel in 2007, a court ruled the female partner of a deceased lesbian was entitled to a widow's pension.
New Zealand
In New Zealand, a widow's pension was introduced in 1911 to help families with no other way of supporting themselves.