Bereavement Support Payment

If your husband, wife or civil partner has died, you may be able to claim bereavement benefits.

If your husband, wife or civil partner died on or after 6^th April 2017, you may qualify for Bereavement Support Payment.

Entitlement to bereavement benefits depends on the National Insurance record of the person who has died, or because they died as a result of an accident at work or a disease caused by work.

You must have been married to, or in a civil partnership with, the person who has died. If the person lived with you as your partner, but you were not married or in a civil partnership, then you are not eligible for bereavement benefits. You must have been under State Pension Age when your husband, wife or civil partner died.

Bereavement benefits are not means-tested, so it does not matter how much income or savings you have or whether you are working or not.

How much is Bereavement Support Payment?

To receive the maximum amount of Bereavement Support Payment, you must claim within 3 months of your husband, wife or civil partner’s death.

If you have no dependent children, you get a lump sum of £2500, followed by eighteen monthly payments of £100.

Anyone with dependent children, or who was pregnant when their spouse or civil partner died, will receive a lump sum is £3500, followed by eighteen monthly payments of £350.

How does Bereavement Support Payment affect other benefits?

Payments of Bereavement Support Payment will not affect any means-tested benefits, such as Universal Credit, Income Related Employment and Support Allowance or Housing Benefit, and the lump sum or any arrears payments are ignored as savings for 12 months. Bereavement Support Payment does not count as 'welfare' for the Benefit Cap. If you are also entitled to contribution based Employment and Support Allowance or contribution based Jobseekers Allowance, then the Bereavement Support Payment can be paid at the same time.

Payments of Bereavement Support Payment are not affected if you live with a new partner, get re-married or enter a new civil partnership.

For more information and details of how to claim see the gov.uk website

• How much is Bereavement Support Payment?

  To receive the maximum amount of Bereavement Support Payment, you must claim within 3 months of your husband, wife or civil partner’s death.

  If you have no dependent children, you get a lump sum of £2500, followed by eighteen monthly payments of £100.

  Anyone with dependent children, or who was pregnant when their spouse or civil partner died, will receive a lump sum is £3500, followed by eighteen monthly payments of £350.

• How does Bereavement Support Payment affect other benefits?

  Payments of Bereavement Support Payment will not affect any means-tested benefits, such as Universal Credit, Income Related Employment and Support Allowance or Housing Benefit, and the lump sum or any arrears payments are ignored as savings for 12 months. Bereavement Support Payment does not count as 'welfare' for the Benefit Cap. If you are also entitled to contribution based Employment and Support Allowance or contribution based Jobseekers Allowance, then the Bereavement Support Payment can be paid at the same time.

  Payments of Bereavement Support Payment are not affected if you live with a new partner, get re-married or enter a new civil partnership.

  Payments of Bereavement Support Payment will not affect any means-tested benefits, such as Universal Credit, Income Related Employment and Support Allowance or Housing Benefit, and the lump sum or any arrears payments are ignored as savings for 12 months. Bereavement Support Payment does not count as 'welfare' for the Benefit Cap. If you are also entitled to contribution based Employment and Support Allowance or contribution based Jobseekers Allowance, then the Bereavement Support Payment can be paid at the same time.

  Payments of Bereavement Support Payment are not affected if you live with a new partner, get re-married or enter a new civil partnership.

  For more information and details of how to claim see the gov.uk website.