Thousands of bereaved families could be entitled to a tax-free payment from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) worth up to £9,800 – but missing a key deadline could mean losing thousands of pounds.
Bereavement Support Payment is designed to help people after the death of a husband, wife, civil partner or, in some circumstances, a partner they were living with.
The payment replaced several older bereavement benefits, including Bereavement Allowance, Bereavement Payment and Widowed Parent's Allowance for most new claims. From February 2023, cohabiting parents with dependent children can claim Bereavement Support Payment. To qualify under this route, you must have been living together as a couple at the time of the death, and either been pregnant or entitled to Child Benefit for a dependent child.
According to GOV.UK: "Bereavement Support Payment is not means-tested. This means what you earn or how much you have in savings will not affect what you get."
Who can claim?
To qualify, you generally must have been:
- Under State Pension age when your partner died
- Living in the UK, or another country that pays bereavement benefits
- Married, in a civil partnership, or living together as if you were married (subject to the current eligibility rules)
Your partner must also have either paid sufficient National Insurance contributions or died because of an accident at work or a work-related disease.
The Government says: "You can still make a claim if you're not sure whether your partner paid enough National Insurance contributions. The Bereavement Service will let you know."
How much could you get?
The amount depends on your circumstances.
Those entitled to the higher rate can receive:
- £3,500 one-off payment
- 18 monthly payments of £350
Those receiving the lower rate can receive:
- £2,500 one-off payment
- 18 monthly payments of £100
Eligible couples who were living together as if married may also qualify for the higher-rate payment under the current rules.
The deadline that could cost you money
One of the biggest traps is waiting too long to apply.
GOV.UK states: "You must claim within 3 months of your partner's death to get the one-off payment and all 18 monthly payments."
If you apply later:
- After three months, you could lose some monthly payments.
- After 12 months, you usually lose the lump sum.
- After 21 months, you usually cannot claim at all.
However, GOV.UK also says claims may still be possible after 21 months if "their cause of death was only recently confirmed."
Will it affect your other benefits?
For most people, the payment will not immediately reduce other benefit entitlement.
The Government says: "Bereavement Support Payment will not affect your benefits for a year after your first payment."
After that, any money remaining from the first payment could affect future means-tested benefit claims or renewals.
How to apply
Applications can be made:
- Online through GOV.UK
- By telephone via the Bereavement Service
- By post using a claim form
- Through the International Pension Centre if you live abroad.
Applicants will normally need:
- Their National Insurance number
- Bank account details
- The date their partner died
- Their partner's National Insurance number.
For many families, Bereavement Support Payment can provide valuable financial help during an extremely difficult period, but acting quickly is crucial to avoid missing out on part of the support available.
