The government has still not changed the law to reflect a Supreme Court year-old ruling that found in favour of an unmarried mother, allowing her to claim a widowed parent’s pension.

Speaking to Sky News, Siobhan McLaughlin, said that she felt like the government still classed her children and others that aren’t born into marriage as “irrelevant”.

"They are being denied support when they need it most, and all those parents going through what I did, the shock and shame of learning that their children are going to lose out and then the stress and worry of having to make ends meet as well as coping with loss of my partner,” she said.

McLaughlin brought her case to the Supreme Court after being refused the benefits because she and her late partner, John Adams, were not married or in a civil partnership.

They had been together for 23 years but, after his death in 2014, McLaughlin had to take on extra work after being denied a widowed parent’s allowance.

In August 2018, the Supreme Court ruled in her favour, but said that it was the government’s choice whether or how the law was changed, which it has not done.

McLaughlin’s lawyer, Laura Banks, from Francis Hanna & Co in Belfast, added: "We know that the current system is outdated. It is not fit for purpose and urgently needs reform.

"It is unacceptable and shameful that we now have a government continuing to discriminate against children with this archaic policy, a year after the Supreme Court has held that doing so is unlawful."

A Department for Work and Pensions spokesperson said that it was “actively considering options” following the court decision.

"We are committed to supporting people during bereavement and have widened the support available. This is in addition to help provided for cohabiting couples through the wider welfare system,” they concluded.

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