Information Note on the Court’s case-law 6

May 1999

Willis v. the United Kingdom (dec.) - 36042/97

Decision 11.5.1999 [Section III]

Article 14

Discrimination

Different treatment of widows and widowers regarding certain benefits: admissible

[This summary also covers the following decisions of 11 May 1999: Cornwell v. the United Kingdom (no. 36578/97); and Leary v. the United Kingdom (no. 38890/97).]

The applican ts are widowers with dependant children. Under the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992, a widow in a similar position would be entitled to a Widow's Payment and a Widowed Mother's Allowance (and subsequently to a Widow's Pension). These are all contributory benefits. However, they are not available to widowers, for whom there are no equivalent benefits.

Admissible under Article 14 in conjunction with Article 8 and Article 1 of Protocol No. 1. [The second application was also declared partly inadmissible, in respect of the period prior to his claiming benefits in 1997, his wife having died in 1989.]

© Council of Europe/European Court of Human Rights This summary by the Registry does not bind the Court.

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