Dealing with bereavement can be very difficult and our Advice staff realise we all deal with bereavement in different ways. We aim to provide a range of practical help and information that we hope will help someone cope better at this very difficult time and we hope we can help you feel you are not alone.
We can help take care of all the issues that will come up about your income and that of your late partner or child as well as providing you with any information you may need on legal issues arising for you and your children. We can also help identify other sources of help such as counselling, support, education and training services.
Bereavement Benefits are paid to help maintain your income when your partner dies – they are only payable to couples who were legally married and depend on the level of National Insurance Contributions paid by the deceased.
Bereavement Benefits are available to both widows and widowers. You can get this benefit if:
- Your late husband or wife paid enough National Insurance Contributions.
You must be legally married, therefore, you cannot get bereavement benefits if:
- You are divorced from your late husband or wife or
- You remarry or
- You are living with someone else as husband and wife without being legally married or
- You are in prison or being held in legal custody or
- You were in a same sex couple
This is a lump sum payment of £2,000, which replaces the Widow’s Payment. It is tax-free and is payable to you as soon as you are widowed.
- You are under pensionable age or your late partner was not entitled or had deferred entitlement to a full retirement pension and
- Your late spouse meets the National Insurance Contribution conditions and
- You are not living with a different partner of the opposite sex at the time of your late partner’s death and
- You claim within 3 months of the death and
- Your late partner died on or after 9th April 2001
This replaces Widow’s Pension and is available to both widows and widowers. It is a taxable weekly age-related benefit that is paid for a maximum of 52 weeks.
You can get this benefit if:
- You must be over 45 but under pensionable age at the time of your late partner’s death and
- Your late partner must have satisfied the National Insurance Contribution conditions and
- You must not be entitled to Widowed Parent’s Allowance.
You can only receive the benefit until you reach pensionable age or the 52-week period runs out, whichever occurs first.
Bereavement Allowance cannot be paid if a claimant remarries and will be suspended if you start cohabiting with a person of the opposite sex. The benefit can be reinstated as soon as you stop co-habiting and as long as all the other qualifying rules are still met.
This benefit can be paid to both men and women with dependant children or to women who are pregnant. It is a taxable benefit that is paid weekly.
You can get this benefit if:
- You are under pensionable age at the date of the spouse’s death and
- Your late partner satisfies the contribution conditions or died as a result of an industrial accident or disease and
- You have a child that you get Child Benefit for or you are expecting your late partner’s baby.
You will be entitled to this benefit for as long as you are responsible for the child or children but it will be suspended if you start co-habiting with a person of the opposite sex or if you remarry. The benefit can be reinstated as soon as you
stop co-habiting and as long as all the other qualifying rules are still met.
Bereavement Benefits are not affected by any other income or benefit but they can count as income towards some other benefits that you may receive including:
- Income Support
- Housing Benefit
- Working Tax Credit
We recommend you take advice on this as our Advice Workers can work out your full income and make sure you are receiving all the benefits and help your family should be entitled to.
You can get the forms form any Social Security Office or by contacting the
Pension Service directly on:
- Pensions Service – 028 9054 9393
This is a one off payment from the Social Fund designed to meet certain funeral expenses. If you have become a lone parent as a result of your partner’s death, for example, you can claim this grant if you get one of the following benefits:
- Income Support or Income Based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Housing Benefit
- Child Tax Credit – where it includes more than the Family Element
- Working Tax Credit where a disability or severe disability element is included in the award
The deceased person should have been, your partner or a former partner or child (and there is no non-resident parent or they were getting certain benefits), or a close relative and it is deemed to be reasonable for you to accept responsibility for the funeral. You can claim any time from the date of death up to three months after the funeral. The grant does not have to be paid back but it might be recoverable from the deceased person's estate – an insurance policy for example.
Gingerbread’s Advice Service can also offer help and advice on other issues that may come up following the death of your partner.
These can include:
- Housing
- Legal Issues
- Children
- Debt
You can access a range of support and help from your GP including:
- Support and Advice
- Referral to Counselling
- Support from Social Services
Cruse Bereavement Care is a voluntary organisation that exists to promote the well-being of bereaved people and to enable anyone bereaved by death to understand their grief and cope with their loss. The organisation provides counseling and support and offers information, advice, education and training services.
Telephone : 028 9079 2419
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