Bereavement Allowance and Bereavement Payment

Prior to the 9th April 2001, when the new system for bereavement benefits came into place, only women were entitled to claim benefits to help them after a bereavement. The new benefits replace the Widow’s Pension, but if you were entitled to receive this benefit before 9th April 2001 you will be entitled to continue receiving it afterwards. New legislation entitles husbands and civil partners to claim benefits as well, but focuses mainly on those people who must cope with a bereavement when they are under State Pension Age, see State Pension Age.

You may be able to claim bereavement benefits if your partner died on or after 9th April 2001. The Bereavement Allowance and the Bereavement Payment are both based on the National Insurance contributions of your deceased partner. Their record will determine whether you are entitled to receive these benefits in the event of their death. If their National Insurance record does not qualify you but they died as the result of an industrial disease or an industrial injury, you may be entitled to bereavement benefits. You are advised to contact your local Citizens Advice Bureau for assistance. You must have been married to your partner or have been registered as civil partners for you to qualify for bereavement benefits. There are two bereavement benefits: Bereavement Allowance and Bereavement Payment. You might also be entitled to Widowed Parent’s Allowance: for more information on this benefit see Widowed Parents Allowance.

Bereavement Allowance is a taxable weekly benefit paid for up to one year following the death of your partner. If you are at least forty-five years of age when your partner dies, but under fifty-five, you will be entitled to a benefit of between £26.19 and £81.19 a week depending on exactly how old you are when your partner dies. If you are over fifty-five years of age when your partner dies but still under State Pension Age, you will be entitled to a weekly benefit of up to £87.30. How much you are entitled to receive will depend on the National Insurance record of your late partner. If your partner dies when you are already of State Pension Age or older, you may be entitled to a State Pension or a higher rate of State Pension as a result of your late partner’s National Insurance record. If you remarry, register another civil partnership or live with another person as their common-law spouse your Bereavement Allowance will be suspended or stopped altogether. Once you have reached State Pension Age your Bereavement Allowance will also stop, but you will then be entitled to claim the State Pension, see State Pensions.

The Bereavement Payment is a one-off tax-free lump sum of £2,000. If you are over forty-five years of age but under State Pension Age you can claim if your late partner’s National Insurance record has enough contributions to qualify you to receive the payment. You are also entitled to this Bereavement Payment if your partner’s death resulted from their job. If your partner dies when you are already over State Pension Age, you will also be entitled to this Bereavement Payment on the condition that your late partner’s National Insurance record qualifies you for the benefit, and your late partner was younger than State Pension Age.

To claim bereavement benefits, you must contact the Department of Work and Pensions on their Benefit Enquiry Line 0800 88 22 00 or contact your local benefits office. You must claim Bereavement Allowance within three months of your partner’s death, or you may no longer be entitled to receive the benefit. The Bereavement Payment must be claimed within twelve months of your partner’s death or you will not be entitled to the lump sum.