Bereavement support payments

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Bereavement support changes mean many more people can now get help

Losing a loved one is a devastating blow emotionally, and it can also be an incredibly difficult time financially. Bereavement support payments (which have replaced Widowed Parents Allowance) are cash payments that are designed to help reduce the financial impact of losing a partner. They are available UK wide. 

• A recent law change means 10,000s are newly eligible for help. Until recently, bereavement payments were only available if you were were married or in a civil partnership. However, a landmark law change in February 2023 means that cohabiting parents who are bereaved are also now eligible for help. 

• If you weren't married or in a civil partnership when your partner died, you only qualify for help if you have (or were expecting) children. In this context, having children means you must be entitled to (though not necessarily claiming payment of) Child Benefit. In other words, you must have at least one child under the age of 16, or under 20 if they are in full-time study or approved training. If you're expecting a child when your partner dies, you can also make a claim for help. 

• New bereavement support payment claims are time limited. Claims need to be made within 21 months of your partner's death (and within three months to get the full amount). 

MoneySavers have already claimed £100,000s 

Since the law change to allow unmarried partners to claim bereavement support, we've heard from readers who have collectively claimed £100,000s in vital help.

Some had no idea of the law change and were alerted by friends, so reaching eligible families with news of the changes is crucial. 

Eve successfully made a claim last year. She said:

Bereavement support payment – who's eligible and how to apply

'Bereavement support payment' has been the catch-all bereavement benefit for anyone who has lost their partner since 6 April 2017 (when it replaced widowed parent's allowance). It can be worth up to £9,800 and it’s NOT means-tested, so you can get it regardless of how much you earn or how much money you have in savings.

To qualify you must have been either married, or in a registered civil partnership, or living together as though you were married when your partner died. There is additional eligibility criteria if you were unmarried but living together. We cover both below:

Eligibility if you were married or in a civil partnership

You need to meet ALL of the following criteria to qualify:

1. Date of bereavement – If you were married or in a civil partnership, your partner must have died within the last 21 months in order for you to qualify for help. You'll need to apply for bereavement support within three months to qualify for maximum support. 

2. Age – When your partner died, you must have been UNDER state pension age (you can check yours here). If you were living together but unmarried and not in a civil partnership, you must also have been eligible (in other words, under state pension age) on 30 August 2018.

3. Location –When your partner died, you must either have been living in the UK, or in a country that pays bereavement benefits.

4. Work history – Your partner must have either paid national insurance contributions for at least 25 weeks in one tax year since 6 April 1975, or died because of an accident at work or a disease caused by work.

Eligibility if you were living together but not married or in a civil partnership

You need to meet ALL of the following criteria to qualify:

1. Date of bereavement – Your partner must have died in the past 21 months for you to qualify for help. You'll need to apply for bereavement support within three months to qualify for maximum support.

2. Age – When your partner died, you must have been UNDER state pension age (you can check yours here). If you were living together but unmarried and not in a civil partnership, you must also have been eligible (in other words, under state pension age) on 30 August 2018.

3. Location – When your partner died, you must either have been living in the UK, or in a country that pays bereavement benefits.

4. Work history – Your partner must have either paid national insurance contributions for at least 25 weeks in one tax year since 6 April 1975, or died because of an accident at work or a disease caused by work.

5. Have, or be expecting a child – If you were co-habiting when your partner died, you also need to have been either entitled to Child Benefit for at least one child, or expecting a child who was subsequently born. Crucially, you DON'T need to have been receiving Child Benefit payments. See below for I wasn't claiming Child Benefit, what do I do?

How much is bereavement support payment worth?

Bereavement support payments are usually paid as a one-off lump sum payment followed by up to 18 monthly payments. All of it is TAX-FREE.

Exactly how much you'll get depends on which of the groups you're in, and when you make your claim. But generally speaking, there are two rates of bereavement support payment:

• Lower rate – worth up to £4,300. You’ll get this if you and your spouse or civil partner didn’t have – or weren’t pregnant with – any children at the date your partner died. You CAN'T get this rate if you were co-habiting but  unmarried (nor in a civil partnership) when your partner died.
  

  If you qualify for the maximum support on the lower rate, you'll receive an initial lump sum of £2,500, and 18 monthly payments of £100. So it can be worth £4,300.
  

  To get both the lump sum and all 18 monthly payments, you need to claim within three months of your spouse's death. If it's been over three months, you won't get all the monthly payments, and if it's been over 12 months, you won't get the lump sum. You need to claim within 21 months of being bereaved to get any support at all.

• Higher rate – worth up to £9,800. You’ll get this if you or your partner were expecting a child who was subsequently born, or entitled to Child Benefit, when they died. You can get this rate of support, regardless of whether you were married, in a civil partnership or co-habiting.
  

  If you qualify for the maximum support on the higher rate, you'll receive an initial lump sum of £3,500, and 18 monthly payments of £350. So it can be worth £9,800.
  

  To get both the lump sum and all 18 monthly payments, you need to claim within three months of your partner's death. If it's been over three months, you won't get all the monthly payments, and if it's been over 12 months, you won't get the lump sum. You need to claim within 21 months of being bereaved to get any support at all.

Will claiming affect my other benefits?

Any lump sum payment you receive WON'T have an impact on any other benefits you're claiming for 12 months from the date you receive it. However, after this point, any leftover amount may have an impact on your income-related benefit entitlement, see FAQs for more.

If you also receive monthly ongoing bereavement support payments, these WON'T have an impact on any other income-related benefits you receive, regardless of how long the monthly payments last.

How to apply for bereavement support payment

You can apply for bereavement support payment online, by phone or by post. You’ll need the following info:

• Your national insurance number

• Your bank or building society account details

• The date your partner died

• Your partner's national insurance number

To apply online, fill in this Gov.uk form. It’ll take around 15 minutes.

For postal applications, you need to either download form BSP, or ask your local Jobcentre Plus to post you the form. You then need to fill it in and send it to the address listed on the form.

Or if you’d prefer to apply over the phone, want to request the form in a different format (such as braille), or just have questions about the application, call 0800 151 2012 if you’re in England, Scotland or Wales, 0800 085 2463 if you’re in Northern Ireland, or +44 (0) 191 206 9390 if you’re abroad.

FAQs