Kim Catcheside: "Subtle confirmation of the gradual drift towards means testing"

Social Security Secretary Alistair Darling has announced the shake-up because of a case taken to the European Court of Human Rights by a widower.

Kevin Willis is expected to win his claim that the current UK system discriminates against men.

Kevin Willis says widowers should be treated fairly

The effect of the case is likely to be the end to the widows' benefit and its replacement by a payment for bereavement, irrespective of sex.

Mr Darling set out details of the benefit changes on Wednesday. They are due to be introduced after April 2001.

He stressed changes would apply only to people of working age who lose a spouse, and not to existing widows, widows over state pension age and war widows.

Those bereaved who did not have children would only qualify for a bereavement allowance for six months after the death of their spouse, worth up to £64.70 a week.

Those aged 55 or over who qualified for income support and were widowed in the five years after the changes were introduced would get support worth the same amount as the current widows' pension.

And he announced that the lump sum cash payment paid within four days of bereavement for immediate costs would be doubled to £2,000.

He said 20,000 already widowed men and their dependants would benefit from the plans.