Bereavement Support Payment – who’s eligible?
If your partner has died, you might be able to claim Bereavement Support Payment.
Previously, only people who were married or in a civil partnership were eligible, but a change in the law means that co-habiting parents can also claim.
What are the Bereavement Support Payment eligibility rules?
The benefit isn’t means-tested, so you can claim no matter how much money you make, and how much you have in savings or investments.
For you to be entitled to claim, at the time of your partner’s death you must have been:
- under state pension age
- living in the UK (or another country that pays bereavement benefits)
- married or in a civil partnership with your partner, or living at the same address and with shared parental responsibility of a child or children (and entitled to Child Benefit).
Your partner must have paid a certain amount of Class 1 or Class 2 National Insurance contributions in one tax year since 6 April 1975 (unless their death was the result of an accident or disease caused by their work).
If you’re not sure if you’re eligible to claim Bereavement Support Payment, it’s worth contacting the Bereavement Service helpline, which is run by the UK government, to find out.
Bereavement Service helpline: 0800 151 2012 (Welsh language: 0800 731 0453).
Unfortunately, at OneFamily we can’t tell you with any certainty if you can claim or not as these payments aren’t connected to us.
Changes to the eligibility rules
Previously, Bereavement Support Payment was paid to people when their partner passed away, but only if they were married or in a civil partnership.
The rules changed in February 2023, so even if you weren't married, cohabiting parents have the same access to bereavement benefits as people who were married or in a civil partnership. To be eligible, one of the following conditions need to have applied at the time of your partner's death:
- you were getting Child Benefit – or were entitled to claim it - for a child that lived with you, or
- you were pregnant.
If it was your partner that was getting - or was entitled to - Child Benefit, you’ll need to make a new claim for Child Benefit in your name before you can apply for Bereavement Support Payment.
Cohabitating partners without dependent children are not eligible for Bereavement Support Payment.
When can you claim Bereavement Support Payment?
Although it’s likely to be a difficult time, it’s important to apply for Bereavement Support Payment as soon as possible after your partner passes away.
You’ll usually need to claim within 21 months of your partner’s death. You might still be able to claim after 21 months, if the cause of your partner’s death was only recently confirmed.
But it’s important that you claim as soon as you can as the amount of money you can get falls over time and, if you leave it too long, you won’t be able to claim at all.
How much is Bereavement Support Payment?
If you’re eligible for Bereavement Support Payment, you’ll be given a lump sum followed by a monthly amount for 18 months. You’ll either receive the higher rate or lower rate, depending on your situation.
- The maximum higher rate is a one-off payment of £3,500, followed by £350 a month for 18 months.
- The lower rate is a one-off payment of £2,500, followed by £100 a month for 18 months.
You’ll be eligible for the higher rate if you were getting - or entitled to - Child Benefit for a child that lived with you, or you were pregnant, when your partner died.
How can I claim?
You can apply online, by phone or by post. You'll need to have the following information ready:
- your National Insurance number
- your bank details
- the date your partner died
- your partner's National Insurance number.
You can find out more on the government website: Bereavement Support Payment.
Supporting you when you need it
Further financial support
Child Benefit
This is available to people who become the main carer for a child or children after the person who had parental responsibility dies.
Widowed Parents’ Allowance
If your partner died before 6 April 2017, you may be able to apply for Widowed Parents’ Allowance instead of Bereavement Support Payment.
More about Widowed Parents’ Allowance
Guardian’s Allowance
If you are bringing up a child or children whose parents have died, you may be able to claim a weekly Guardian’s Allowance to help, even if one of the parents is still alive.
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