I welcome the introduction of the widowed parent's allowance (Evening Press, November 20). My late wife, Linda, and I paid into the state for a combined total of more than 50 years but this is definitely not a benefit which I, or anyone else, aspires to claim.

We do not want to be widowed and our children never wished to lose a parent.

Although I believe my children's emotional stability is paramount, I do believe there should be a means-tested benefit for the good of the bereaved.

I do not understand why it has taken over half a century for the discrimination against our children, on the basis of which parent has died, to be resolved. We have all had to budget for our housing, food, clothes, heating, light, water and other bills.

When the so-called 'anomaly' over benefit for carers was rectified it did not seem to present any problem with a retrospective payment. To enable widowers to meet our present, and past obligations this new allowance must be introduced with immediate and retrospective effect.

Frank A Healy,

Dringhouses,

York.

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