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 money that you may be able to claim if your husband, wife, or civil partner died after 6 April 2017.

This benefit isn't means-tested, so you can make a claim regardless of your income or whether you're in work. But there are certain eligibility criteria outlined below. 

Bereavement Support Payment has replaced Bereavement Allowance (previously Widow's Pension), Widowed Parent’s Allowance and Bereavement Payment.

How much Bereavement Support Payment could I get?

There are two different rates of Bereavement Support Payment:

• You could get £2,500 followed by a further 18 monthly payments of £100.
• If you're responsible for a child under the age of 20, you could get £3,500 followed by 18 monthly payments of £350.

These payments aren't taxable and are disregarded when calculating your entitlement to means-tested benefits and the benefit cap. 

Am I eligible to claim Bereavement Support Payment?

You can claim Bereavement Support Payment if:

• the bereavement happened on or after 6 April 2017
• you were under State Pension age when your spouse or civil partner died
• your partner paid National Insurance Contributions for at least 25 weeks in any single tax year since 1975
• you were living in the UK at the time of the death (or another country that pays bereavement benefits).

How do I claim Bereavement Support Payment?

There are several ways you can claim Bereavement Support Payments. You can:

• call the Bereavement Service helpline on 0800 731 0469 (textphone 0800 731 0464)
• download a claim form from the GOV UK website
• contact your local Jobcentre Plus to have a form sent to you by post. 

Once you've completed your form, you need to take it to your nearest Jobcentre Plus or you can send it to the following address:

Bereavement Support Payment
Mail Handling Site A
Wolverhampton
WV98 2BS

You should claim Bereavement Support Payment within 3 months of the death to get the full amount. For every month later you claim, you'll receive one fewer monthly 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 £122.55 as long as you're still receiving Child Benefit.