Bereavement Support Payment
If your spouse or civil partner has died you may be able to claim Bereavement Support Payment to help ease some of the financial worries you may be facing.
What is Bereavement Support Payment?
Bereavement Support Payment is a welfare benefit that you may be able to claim if your husband, wife or civil partner has died. These benefits are not means-tested, so they are available to anyone regardles of their income level and can be paid whether or not you are working.
The system of claiming bereavement benefits has changed. Under the old system you were able to claim either Bereavement Allowance (previously Widow's Pension), Widowed Parent’s Allowance or Bereavement Payment. These have now been grouped together to form the Bereavement Support Payment.
How much could I get?
Bereavement Support Payment consists of an initial lump sum payment of £2,500 (or, if you have children, £3,500) and a further 18 monthly instalments of £100 (or, if you're eligible for Child Benefit, £350).
These payments are not taxable and are disregarded in the benefit cap and when calculating entitlement to means-tested benefits.
Am I eligible to claim?
You can claim Bereavement Support Payment if:
- the bereavement happened on or after 6 April 2017
- you're under State Pension age
- it's been under three months since the death
What benefits can you claim?
Do you know what benefits you are entitled to? Age UK's Benefits Calculator can help you, quickly and easily, to find out what you could be claiming.
How do I claim Bereavement Support Payment?
You must claim Bereavement Support Payment within 3 months of the death.
To apply for bereavement benefits you can download a BSP1 form from GOV.UK or order a form from your local Jobcentre plus.
Take the completed form to your local Jobcentre Plus or send it to:
Bereavement Support Payment
Mail Handling Site A
Wolverhampton
WV98 2BS
For help on how to claim, phone the Bereavement Service helpline on 0800 731 0469.
How to get the claim form
If your spouse or civil partner died before 6 April 2017, visit GOV.UK to download the BSP1 form to claim Bereavement Support Payment.
How will the changes affect my exisiting Widowed Parent's Allowance?
If you're currently receiving Widowed Parent’s Allowance you will continue to do so at the rate of £119.90 as long as you're still receiving Child Benefit.
Further help
Each year up to £3.5bn of Pension Credit and Housing Benefit goes unclaimed by older people.
We're here to help
We offer support through our free advice line on 0800 678 1602. Lines are open 8am-7pm, 365 days a year. We also have specialist advisers at over 140 local Age UKs.