Bereavement Support Payment - Can I get Bereavement Support Payment?

Can I get Bereavement Support Payment?

If your husband, wife, civil partner or cohabiting partner died on or after 6 April 2017, you may be able to get Bereavement Support Payment.

If your husband, wife, civil partner or cohabiting partner died before 6 April 2017, you may be able to claim Widowed Parent's Allowance instead.

Married or in a registered civil partnership

You may be able to get Bereavement Support Payment if the following applies to you:

• You must have been under 66 when your partner died
• Your partner paid national insurance contributions or died because of an accident at work or a disease caused by their work, their national insurance contributions might not matter

You cannot get Bereavement Support Payment if you were divorced or your civil partnership was dissolved when your husband, wife or civil partner died.

Living as though you were married (Cohabiting partnership)

If you were co-habiting with someone and had children together but weren't married (cohabiting partnership), the law has changed and you can get Bereavement Support Payment now.

To apply as a surviving cohabiting partner:

• You must have been under 66 when your partner died
• You must have been under 66 on 30 August 2018
• When your partner died, you must have been getting or been entitled to Child Benefit or have been pregnant.

You cannot get Bereavement Support if you were no longer living with your partner or if you were living with someone else when your partner died.

Updated; February 2023