Bereavement Benefits

What are bereavement benefits?

There are three benefits available if you have had a bereavement. These are bereavement allowance, bereavement payment and  widowed parents allowance.

Bereavement allowance  

This is a weekly taxable benefit paid to you for 52 weeks, from the date of your husband, civil partner or wife's death. You must be over age 45 but under pension age when your husband, civil partner or wife dies.

The amount you get depends on your age and your spouse or civil partner's contribution record (but it can also be paid if he or she died as a result of an industrial accident or prescribed industrial disease).

You cannot get bereavement allowance if you are in receipt of widowed parent's allowance but you can get it after widowed parent's allowance ceases to be paid. 

You also cannot get bereavement allowance once you have reached the retirement pension age.

Bereavement payment  

This is a tax free lump sum paid to you when your husband, civil partner or wife has died. Payment depends on your spouse or civil partner's contribution record (but it can also be paid if he or she died as a result of an industrial accident or prescribed industrial disease). 

It cannot be paid to you once you reach retirement pension age unless your husband/wife was not entitled to retirement pension based on her/his own contributions when s/he died.

Widowed parents allowance

Widowed parent's allowance is paid if you are a widow/widower having care of a child or children or are a widow expecting a child.

It is a weekly contributory benefit based on your spouse or civil partner's contribution record  (but it can also be paid if he or she died as a result of an industrial accident or prescribed industrial disease).

Payment stops when you reach pension age.

How much are they worth?

• maximum bereavement allowance - Depends on how old you were when your spouse/partner died (ranges from £28.58 a week if you were age 45 when your spouse/partner died to £95.25 a week if you were aged 55 or over)
• bereavement payment - a tax free lump sum of £2000
• maximum widowed parents allowance - £95.25 a week

How do I claim?

You claim all of these benefits on form BB1, available from your local Department for Work  and Pensions office (DWP) or Jobcentre Plus office. You can also download a form from the DWP website at www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk.

In Northern Ireland you can get a form BB1 from the Pensions Service, Windsor House any Social Security or Jobs & Benefits office or the Benefits Shop. You can find out more information by going to the Department for Social Development website at www.dsdni.gov.uk.

WHERE CAN I GET HELP?

You should seek further advice if you want to challenge a decision about your benefit. You can get help with your appeal at a local advice centre, such as a citizen's advice bureau. You can get more information about this from our factsheet F16, Finding a local advice centre, which is available at www.cara-online.org

Central Africa’s Rights & AIDS (CARA) Society has also published Benefit appeals - A guide to benefit appeals for advisers and disabled people. This guide helps you prepare for an appeal tribunal and will increase your chances of success at the hearing. It takes you through all the stages of the benefit decision-making process from the moment you receive an unsatisfactory decision through to the tribunal hearing.

It is available to have a look at it on our website at www.cara-online.org or by contacting Central Africa’s Rights & AIDS (CARA) Society on Tel: +44(0)20 7254 6415(voice and minicom) - Mob.:+44(0)7956 95 26 45 - Fax: +44(0)872 115 8436 - Email: caraas@hotmail.com

Updated July 2009