Bereavement support payment

Bereavement support payment

Bereavement support payment replaces the ‘old’ bereavement benefits (bereavement payment, widowed parent’s allowance and bereavement allowance) for people whose spouse, civil partner or (in some cases) co-habiting partner died on or after 6 April 2017. If the death was before 6 April 2017, clients may be entitled to the ‘old’ bereavement benefits.

To qualify, the client’s late spouse, civil partner or co-habiting partner (where applicable) must either have paid sufficient NI contributions or been an employee and died as a result of an industrial accident or disease. In addition, the client must be under state pension age.

There are two rates of bereavement support payment:

•the standard rate, comprising an initial lump sum and a monthly amount; and
•the higher rate, payable to pregnant women and those with dependent children, comprising a higher initial lump sum and a higher monthly amount.

Bereavement support payment is paid for a maximum of 18 months after the death and must normally be claimed within 12 months of the death. It

is automatically backdated for up to three months, to the date of death.

The initial lump sum is disregarded as capital for means-tested benefits for the first 12 months and the monthly allowance is disregarded as income for means-tested benefits and tax credits.