Bereavement Support Payments

Bereavement Support Payments

Bereavement Support Payments – financial help when you may need it most

Losing a partner is never less than emotionally devastating. It can also make things financially difficult too. But did you know, if you’re below State Pension age, you may be entitled to a government payment of up to £9,800?

Called a ‘Bereavement Support Payment’, this could really help lighten the load during a hugely challenging time. And just so you know from the outset, this payment is not means tested (although it may affect your entitlement to certain benefits in the future).

Who can get it?

As we said, the first condition is you must be under State Pension age (or, at least, under this when your partner died). If your partner was older than this, it doesn’t matter; you can still claim. However, your partner:

• will have needed to have paid a certain amount of National Insurance contributions

or

• died because of an accident at work or a disease caused by work

You’ll also need to be living in the UK or a country that pays bereavement benefits.

Provided these conditions are met, then if you were married or in a civil partnership with your partner, you’ll be entitled to a payment regardless of anything else.

How much could I get?

There are two levels payment. Currently, the standard level is a one-off payment of £2,500 and 18 monthly payments of £100.

However, you may be entitled to more if one of the following applied to you when your partner died:

• you were getting Child Benefit for a child that lived with you
• you were told by the Child Benefit Office that you were entitled to Child Benefit for a child that lived with you
• you were pregnant

In any of these cases, you’ll get a one-off payment of £3,500 and 18 monthly payments of £350.

I was living with my partner as if we were married but we weren’t. Can I claim?

Yes, you can. However, you would usually only be entitled to the payment if you meet the conditions for the higher payment. Also, it’s only been since February 2023 that it’s been possible for parents or carers who weren’t married (or in a civil partnership) to claim. To see if you could be eligible, please look at the MoneyHelper website. Here you’ll find details of what you might be able to claim as well as information about applying for backdated payments.

How do I claim?

You can claim from the date the person died.

Claims for a Bereavement Support Payment can usually only be backdated by three months. Therefore, it’s important you make your claim as soon as possible, or you might lose some of your payments.

To make a claim, you can call the Bereavement Service helpline on 0800 151 2012 (textphone 0800 731 0464). Alternatively, you can apply by post using a form which you can download here. If you live abroad, you’ll need to call the International Pension Centre to apply. Their number is +44 (0) 191 206 9390.

Just so you know, when you apply, you’ll need:

• your National Insurance number
• your bank or building society account details
• the date your partner died
• your partner’s National Insurance number

For more detailed information about Bereavement Support Payments, including how they may affect you entitlement to other State benefits, please visit the .Gov website.