You may be able to get Bereavement Support Payment if your partner has died. It has replaced the following benefits: Widowed Parent’s Allowance - if you already get this, your payments will continue until you’re no longer eligible Bereavement Allowance (previously Widow’s Pension) Bereavement Payment This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg) and in an easy read format .

Bereavement Support Payment is not means-tested. This means what you earn or how much you have in savings will not affect what you get. When your partner died, you must have been: under State Pension age living in the UK or a country that pays bereavement benefits married to your partner, in a civil partnership with them, or living with them as if you were married Your partner must have either: paid a certain amount of Class 1 or Class 2 National Insurance contributions in any one tax year since 6 April 1975 died because of an accident at work or a disease caused by work You can still make a claim if you’re not sure whether your partner paid enough National Insurance contributions. The Bereavement Service will let you know. You cannot claim Bereavement Support Payment if you’re in prison. When you need to make your claim You usually need to make a claim within 21 months of your partner’s death. If it’s been over 21 months since your partner’s death, you may still be able to make a claim if their cause of death was only recently confirmed. Call the Bereavement Service helpline for help. How soon you make your claim can also affect how much money you’ll get . You usually need to make a claim within 3 months of your partner’s death to get the full amount of payments. If your partner died before 6 April 2017, you may be able to get Widowed Parent’s Allowance instead. If you were living with your partner as if you were married Unless you’re applying for a backdated payment, one of the following must have applied 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, even if you chose not to get it you were pregnant If your partner was getting or entitled to Child Benefit instead, you’ll need to make a new claim for Child Benefit in your name before you can apply for Bereavement Support Payment.

The amount of Bereavement Support Payment you can get will depend on: your relationship to the person who died when you make your claim when you reach State Pension age Your payments will be paid into your bank, building society or credit union account . Your relationship to the person who died If you were married or in a registered civil partnership You’ll get the higher rate if one of the following applied 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 The most you can get is: a one-off payment of £3,500 18 monthly payments of £350 If you’re not eligible for the higher rate, you’ll get the lower rate instead. The most you can get is: a one-off payment of £2,500 18 monthly payments of £100 If you were living together as if you were married The most you can get is: a one-off payment of £3,500 18 monthly payments of £350 When you make your claim You must claim within 3 months of your partner’s death to get the one-off payment and all 18 monthly payments. If it’s been over 3 months but fewer than 12 months since your partner’s death, you can get the one-off payment but only some of the monthly payments. If it’s been over 12 months but fewer than 21 months since your partner’s death, you cannot get the one-off payment but you can still get some monthly payments. If it’s been over 21 months since your partner’s death, you usually cannot get any payments. When you reach State Pension age If you reach State Pension age within 18 months of your partner’s death, you may get fewer monthly payments. If you get benefits Bereavement Support Payment will not affect your benefits for a year after your first payment. After a year, money you have left from your first payment could affect the amount you get if you renew or make a claim for another benefit. You must tell your benefits office (for example, your local Jobcentre Plus ) when you start getting Bereavement Support Payment.

You can apply for Bereavement Support Payment online, by telephone or by post. To 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 Apply online Start now Apply by phone Bereavement Service helpline Telephone: 0800 151 2012 Welsh language: 0800 731 0453 Textphone: 0800 731 0464 Welsh language: 0800 731 0456 Relay UK (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 151 2012 British Sign Language (BSL) video relay service if you’re on a computer - find out how to use the service on mobile or tablet Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm Find out about call charges If you live in Northern Ireland, there’s a different way to apply by phone. Apply by post To get a claim form, you can either: download a Bereavement Support Payment form (BSP1) contact the Bereavement Service helpline to get one through the post – you can find their contact details above Send it to the address on the form. If you live in Northern Ireland, there’s a different way to apply by post. If you’re abroad Call the International Pension Centre to apply. International Pension Centre Telephone: +44 (0) 191 206 9390 Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm Find out about call charges

Bereavement Support Payment

How it works

You may be able to get Bereavement Support Payment if your partner has died. It has replaced the following benefits:

Widowed Parent’s Allowance - if you already get this, your payments will continue until you’re no longer eligible
Bereavement Allowance (previously Widow’s Pension)
Bereavement Payment

This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg) and in an easy read format.

View a printable version of the whole guide

Bereavement Support Payment

How it works

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Bereavement Support Payment

How it works

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