Can I claim Marriage Allowance if my partner has died?
If your husband, wife or civil partner has died, you may still be able to claim Marriage Allowance for the years you both qualified, including earlier years through backdating. The surviving partner can usually make the claim covering those years on behalf of the couple.
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Check what you're owed →Bereavement does not automatically remove the chance to benefit from Marriage Allowance for the years it applied. If you and your late partner met the conditions — one paying no tax and the other a basic-rate taxpayer — in years when you were together, a claim can usually still be made covering those years, including the year of death and qualifying earlier years.
The surviving partner generally makes the claim, and it can include backdating to earlier tax years within the allowed window, provided you both qualified in each of those years. This can result in a refund for the past years, which is something many bereaved people do not realise is possible at what is already a difficult time.
You will need details of both partners, including National Insurance numbers, and information about your circumstances in the relevant years. Because the rules around claiming after a death and the backdating window have time limits, it is worth acting reasonably promptly. Checking whether a claim is possible can recover money the couple was entitled to.
How to claim Marriage Allowance after a partner dies
- Identify qualifying years. Work out the years you both met the conditions while together, including the year of death.
- Gather both partners’ details. Collect National Insurance numbers and information about your income and circumstances in those years.
- Contact HMRC. Apply to HMRC as the surviving partner, including any qualifying earlier years through backdating.
- Receive any refund. HMRC processes the qualifying years and repays overpaid tax for the backdated period where due.
Key figures (official sources)
- up to 4 earlier tax yearsHow far back a Marriage Allowance claim can be backdatedSource: GOV.UK — Marriage Allowance: how it works (checked 2026-06-28)
Frequently asked questions
- Can I still claim after my partner has died?
- Often yes, for the years you both qualified, including the year of death and earlier years through backdating, within the time limits.
- Who makes the claim?
- The surviving partner usually makes the claim covering the relevant years on behalf of the couple.
- Can it include a refund for past years?
- Yes. Backdating to qualifying earlier years can result in a refund of overpaid tax for those years.
- What information do I need?
- Details for both partners, including National Insurance numbers, and information about your circumstances in the relevant years.
MoneyFinder is an independent sign-posting service that helps you find financial support you may be entitled to. We are not a government body and do not provide financial advice. Figures are taken from the official sources cited above and were correct when last checked — always confirm current details on the linked GOV.UK pages.