Bereavement Support Payment

Description

A tax-free lump sum followed by up to 18 further monthly payments for people whose husband, wife, or civil partner has died, replacing the older Widowed Parent's Allowance, Bereavement Allowance and Bereavement Payment. Paid regardless of your own income or savings, based on your late partner's National Insurance record.

Eligibility summary

• Available across the whole UK (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland).
• Open to individuals — not restricted to businesses.

Notes

The higher rate applies if you were entitled to Child Benefit, or were pregnant, when your partner died; the lower/standard rate applies otherwise (gov.uk itself uses both terms — 'lower rate' on the rates page, 'standard rate' elsewhere). Claim within 3 months of the death for the full award; you can still claim up to 21 months after, but lose one monthly payment for each additional month's delay. Not means-tested, and doesn't count as income for other means-tested benefits during the first year. Reserved UK-wide: no separate Scottish scheme; Northern Ireland runs this under its own separate-but-parity legislation via the Department for Communities.

Requirement

Under State Pension age when your partner died; married to them, in a civil partnership with them, or living together as if married. Your partner needed to have paid National Insurance contributions in at least one tax year since April 1975, or to have died because of an accident at work or a work-related disease. If you were cohabiting rather than married/in a civil partnership, you can still qualify (following a 2023 rule change) if you were receiving or entitled to Child Benefit for a child you had together, or were pregnant, when your partner died.