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

Step 1 Register the death
1. Register the death
Check what to do if:
Step 2 Tell government about the death
The Tell Us Once service allows you to inform all the relevant government departments when someone dies.
1. Use the Tell Us Once service to tell government
2. If you cannot use Tell Us Once, tell government yourself
You'll also need to tell banks, utility companies, and landlords or housing associations yourself.
Step 3 Arrange the funeral
Step 4 Check if you can get bereavement benefits
You might be eligible for financial help.

Check if you can get:
and Deal with your own benefits, pension and taxes
Your tax, benefit claims and pension might change depending on your relationship with the person who died.
1. Manage your tax, pensions and benefits if your partner has died
2. Check how benefits are affected if a child dies
and Find bereavement support and services
Get help with managing grief and the things you need to do when someone dies.
1. Find bereavement help and support
2. Find bereavement services from your local council
and Check if you need to apply to stay in the UK
If your right to live in the UK depends on your relationship with someone who died you might need to apply for a new visa.

Check the rules if:
- you're in the UK as the partner of a British Citizen or someone with indefinite leave to remain
- your partner who died served as a member of HM Forces
1. Contact UKVI to check the rules for other visas
Step 5 Value the estate and check if you need to pay Inheritance Tax
To find out if there’s Inheritance Tax to pay, you need to estimate the value of the property, money and possessions (the ‘estate’) of the person who died.
1. Estimate the value of the estate to find out if you need to pay Inheritance Tax
1. Find out how to report the value of the estate
1. Pay Inheritance Tax if it’s due
Step 6 Apply for probate
You might need to apply for probate before you can deal with the property, money and possessions (the ‘estate’) of the person who died.
1. Check if you need to apply for probate
1. Apply for probate
Step 7 Deal with the estate
Pay any debts or taxes owed by the person who's died. You can then distribute the estate as set out in the will or the law.
1. Deal with the estate
1. Update property records

Bereavement Support Payment

How it works

Step 1 Register the death

Step 2 Tell government about the death

Step 3 Arrange the funeral

Step 4 Check if you can get bereavement benefits

and Deal with your own benefits, pension and taxes

and Find bereavement support and services

and Check if you need to apply to stay in the UK

Step 5 Value the estate and check if you need to pay Inheritance Tax

Step 6 Apply for probate

Step 7 Deal with the estate

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Bereavement Support Payment

How it works

Part of What to do when someone dies: step by step

Step 1: Register the death

Step 2: Tell government about the death

Step 3: Arrange the funeral

Step 4: Check if you can get bereavement benefits

and Deal with your own benefits, pension and taxes

and Find bereavement support and services

and Check if you need to apply to stay in the UK

Step 5: Value the estate and check if you need to pay Inheritance Tax

Step 6: Apply for probate

Step 7: Deal with the estate

Is this page useful?

Help us improve GOV.UK

Help us improve GOV.UK

Step 1 Register the death

Step 2 Tell government about the death

Step 3 Arrange the funeral

Step 4 Check if you can get bereavement benefits

Step 5 Value the estate and check if you need to pay Inheritance Tax

Step 6 Apply for probate

Step 7 Deal with the estate