Checking What Benefits You May Be Entitled To

If you've lost a husband, wife, civil partner, or cohabiting partner, you may be entitled to financial support that's easy to overlook while everything else is happening at once. The main one worth knowing about is Bereavement Support Payment.

Bereavement Support Payment

This is the main benefit for a surviving spouse or partner, and it's not means-tested, what you earn or have in savings doesn't affect what you get.

To qualify, generally:

• You were married, in a civil partnership, or living together as if married, when they died
• Your partner had paid National Insurance contributions for at least 25 weeks in any single tax year since 1975 (or died as a result of a workplace accident or industrial disease)
• You were under State Pension age when they died
• You were living in the UK at the time (or in a country with a relevant reciprocal agreement)

Since February 2023, unmarried cohabiting partners with children can also claim, this wasn't always the case, so it's worth checking even if you weren't married.

How much you get depends on whether you have, or are entitled to, Child Benefit:

• Standard rate: a £2,500 lump sum, followed by up to 18 monthly payments of £100
• Higher rate (if you have dependent children or were pregnant when your partner died): a £3,500 lump sum, followed by up to 18 monthly payments of £350

All of it is tax-free, and the lump sum won't affect any other means-tested benefits you claim for the first 12 months.

You need to claim within 21 months of the death to get the full amount, claiming later reduces what you're entitled to.

You can apply online through GOV.UK, or call the Bereavement Service helpline on 0800 151 2012.

Other Benefits Worth Checking

Losing a partner's income can also affect what else you're entitled to. If money is tight, it's worth checking whether you qualify for Universal Credit, which can help with housing costs and everyday living expenses. Bear in mind that if you inherit savings that take you over the £16,000 threshold, this can affect eligibility for means-tested benefits, so it's worth understanding how an inheritance might interact with anything you're already claiming.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I claim Bereavement Support Payment for a parent or sibling who died?

No, it's specifically for the death of a spouse, civil partner, or (since 2023) a cohabiting partner with children. It doesn't cover other family relationships.

What if I wasn't claiming Child Benefit but was entitled to it?

You can still qualify for the higher rate, you don't need to have actually been receiving the payments, only to have been entitled to them for a child living with you.

Does the payment affect my other benefits long-term?

The lump sum won't count against means-tested benefits for the first 12 months. After that, any amount you still have left may be counted as savings when working out entitlement to some benefits.

What if my partner died before April 2017?

Bereavement Support Payment only applies to deaths on or after 6 April 2017. Earlier deaths may still be covered under the previous system (Bereavement Allowance, Bereavement Payment, or Widowed Parent's Allowance).

Related reading: Notifying an Employer or Pension Provider After a Death · Planning a Dignified Funeral on a Budget in the UK