Bereavement Support Payment
A lump sum and a series of monthly payments for a surviving spouse or civil partner. It is not means-tested and is paid regardless of income — but the deadline is strict and it is missed by thousands of eligible people every year.
On this page
What you receive
| Your circumstances | Lump sum | Monthly payment | Maximum total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pregnant, or entitled to Child Benefit | £3,500 | £350 | £9,800 |
| Not pregnant and not receiving Child Benefit | £2,500 | £100 | £4,300 |
The lump sum is paid within about three weeks of a successful claim. Monthly payments then run for up to 18 months from the date of the death. They are paid tax-free and are ignored for the purposes of Universal Credit, though they may affect means-tested benefits in the month they are received in some other cases.
Who qualifies
- You were married to, or in a civil partnership with, the person who died. Cohabiting partners, however long the relationship, do not qualify — this is the single most common reason for a refusal.
- Your spouse or civil partner paid the required level of National Insurance contributions, or their death was caused by their work or a specific industrial condition.
- You were under State Pension age when they died. A different bereavement benefit applies for those over State Pension age — the extra amount of Pension Credit called the Bereavement Support Payment equivalent, claimed through Pension Credit.
- You claimed within 21 months of the death.
Cohabiting partners. If you were living together but not married or in a civil partnership, you are not entitled to Bereavement Support Payment, regardless of how long you were together or whether you have children together. This is a long-standing criticism of the scheme and it remains the law. There is no discretion to pay. Take advice only if you believe you may have been in a qualifying relationship that was not formalised in a way you realised — for example, some overseas marriages.
The National Insurance condition
Your late spouse or civil partner must have paid National Insurance contributions for at least:
- 25 weeks in any one tax year, before they died; and
- contributions in one of the last two complete tax years before their death, unless the death was caused by their work — in which case this second condition does not apply.
The DWP checks this automatically from its records. If you are refused on contribution grounds, ask for the specific years relied on, and check them — record errors do occur, and a successful challenge can be worth several thousand pounds.
The 21-month deadline
You must claim within 21 months of your spouse or civil partner's death. This is a hard deadline in the ordinary case.
- The DWP does have limited discretion to accept a late claim where there was a good reason — for example, if you were unaware the benefit existed, or were unable to claim because of your state of health at the time.
- Where a late claim is accepted, only the lump sum will normally be paid. Monthly payments are not paid for the months before the claim.
- If you are near or past the deadline, apply immediately and set out the reasons for the delay in the application itself. Do not enquire first and apply later.
If the death was more than 21 months ago. Apply anyway. The DWP must consider a late claim, and there is a real body of successful late claims where the applicant genuinely did not know the benefit existed. There is nothing to lose by applying and a lump sum of £3,500 to gain.
Other bereavement support
| Support | What it provides |
|---|---|
| Funeral Expenses Payment | Help with funeral costs if you receive certain means-tested benefits. Worth checking even if you do not receive Bereavement Support Payment. |
| Widowed Parent's Allowance | Closed to new claims since April 2017, replaced by Bereavement Support Payment. If you were already receiving it, your award continues. |
| Pension Credit | Available to bereaved people over State Pension age, and the bereavement element may apply. |
| Universal Credit | Bereavement Support Payment does not reduce UC. A household can be much better off claiming both than assuming the bereavement payment is disqualifying. |
| Bereavement Allowance | Also closed to new claims from April 2017 for those who were receiving it; the position now depends on age at the time of death. |
How to claim
- Claim online or by phoneApply at gov.uk or call the Bereavement Service helpline. A claim can be made before probate is granted.
- Have the details readyYour National Insurance number, your late spouse or civil partner's National Insurance number, the date of death, and details of any children you are receiving Child Benefit for.
- Make sure the last month's payment is not missedIf the person who died was receiving a benefit, report the death to the DWP promptly — there is a separate process for reclaiming overpaid benefits after a death, and it is handled more easily if reported early.
- Challenge a refusalMandatory reconsideration within one month, then appeal. Contribution-record disputes and deadline disputes are both appealable.
Bereaved and unsure what you are entitled to?
We can check Bereavement Support Payment, Funeral Expenses Payment, and any wider entitlement for the household.
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