Bereavement Support Payments
If your partner has passed away before you reach state pension age, you may be due bereavement support payments. While this help was previously only available if you were married or in a civil partnership, a recent change in the law as of February 2024 now means 10,000’s of co-habiting parents are also now eligible. Bereavement Support Payments can be worth up to £9,800 in total and it’s not means-tested, so you can receive it regardless of how much you earn, or how much you have in savings.
Bereavement Support Payments are usually paid as a one-off lump sum payment, followed by up to 18 monthly payments – which is tax free.
If you weren’t married or in a civil partnership when your partner died, you will only qualify for help if you have, or are expecting a child/children. “Having children” in this context means that you must be entitled to Child Benefit. Essentially, you must have at least one child under the age of 16, or under 20 if they are in full-time study or approved training. If you are expecting a child when your partner dies, you can also make a claim for help.
New Bereavement Support Claims ordinarily need to be made within 21 months of your partner’s death (or within 3 months to get the full amount), however due to the recent law change, if you are unmarried but cohabiting, you may still be able to get some backdated payments if your partner died more than 21 months ago (and after 5 April 2017). There is a time limit on receiving backdated payments, and you must apply by 8 November 2024.
There are two rates of Bereavement Support Payments:
- Lower rate – worth up to £4,300 – you’ll get this if you and your spouse/civil partner didn’t have or weren’t expecting any children at the date of your partner’s death. You can’t eligible for this rate if you are co-habiting with your partner when they died, and you weren’t married or in a civil partnership.
If you qualify for the maximum support on the lower rate, you’ll receive an initial lump sum of £2,500, and 18 monthly payments of £100 – so it can be worth £4,300.
To receive both the lump sum and all 18 monthly payments, you’ll need to claim within 3 months of your spouse/civil partner’s death. If it’s been over 3 months, you won’t receive all the monthly payments, and if it’s been over 12 months, you won’t receive the lump sum. You must make a claim within 21 months of being bereaved, or you will not receive any support.
- Higher rate – worth up to £9,800 – you’ll get this if you or your partner were expecting a child who was born, or entitled to Child Benefit, when they died. You can receive this rate of support regardless of whether you were married, in a civil partnership or co-habiting.
If you qualify for the maximum support on the higher rate, you’ll receive an initial lump sum of £3,500, and 18 monthly payments of £350 – so it can be worth up to £9,800.
To receive both the lump sum and all 18 monthly payments, you need to claim within three months of your partner’s death. If it’s been over three months, you won’t qualify for all the monthly payments, and if it’s been over 12 months, you won’t receive the lump sum. You usually need to claim within 21 months of being bereaved to receive any support at all.
To apply, you can make your application online, by phone, or by post. You’ll need the following information:
- Your national insurance number
- Your bank or building society account details
- The date your partner died
- Your partner’s national insurance number
To apply online, you will need to complete this form.