Bereavement Support Payment
You may be able to receive Bereavement Support Payment (BSP) if your husband, wife or civil partner died in the last 21 months.
You must claim within 3 months of your partner’s death to get the full amount. You can claim up to 21 months after their death but you’ll get fewer monthly payments.
Bereavement Support Payment has replaced Bereavement Allowance (previously Widow’s Pension), Bereavement Payment, and Widowed Parent’s Allowance.
You could be eligible if your partner either:
paid National Insurance contributions for at least 25 weeks in one tax year since 6 April 1975
died because of an accident at work or a disease caused by work
When they died you must have been:
under State Pension age
living in the UK or a country that pays bereavement benefits
You cannot claim BSP if you’re in prison.
If Your Partner Died Over 21 Months Ago
You may still be able to claim BSP if your husband, wife or civil partner’s cause of death was confirmed more than 21 months after the death. Call the Bereavement Service helpline.
If your husband, wife or civil partner died before 6 April 2017, you may be able to get Widowed Parent’s Allowance instead.
What You'll Get
You’ll get a first payment and then up to 18 monthly payments. There are 2 rates.
Higher Rate - First Payment: £3,500 | Monthly Payment: £350
Lower Rate - First Payment: £2,500 | Monthly Payment: £100
If you get Child Benefit (or if you do not get it but are entitled to it), you’ll get the higher rate.
If you do not get Child Benefit, you’ll get the lower rate unless you were pregnant when your husband, wife or civil partner died.
You must claim within 3 months of your partner’s death to get the full amount. If you claim later, you’ll get fewer monthly payments.
Your payments will be paid into your bank or building society account.
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.
For more information, please click on the link below:
Need more information?
We are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and can be contacted on 01779 478109