Bereavement
Allowance
Key information
Bereavement Allowance is a weekly benefit for widows,
widowers, or surviving civil partners.
Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland and
Northern Ireland
Age rules: You must be 45 or over but below
state pension age
Type of benefit: Non
means tested
Taxable: Yes
Administered by: JobCentre Plus
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Who does it help?
If your husband, wife or civil partner dies and you do not have
dependent children, you may be able to get Bereavement
Allowance.
Bereavement Allowance depends on the national insurance
contributions of your husband, wife or civil partner. It does not
matter if you have not paid national insurance contributions
yourself. If your husband, wife or civil partner died because
of an industrial injury, their national insurance contributions
might not matter.
You cannot get Bereavement Allowance if you are divorced, your
civil partnership is dissolved or if you were living with someone
else when your husband, wife or civil partner died.
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What help does it provide?
Bereavement Allowance is money that you can spend as you
want. It is usually paid into a bank or building society
account. You can arrange to get it at a post office in some
cases.
Bereavement Allowance can be paid for up to 52 weeks from
your husband, wife or civil partner's death but if you reach
state pension age before the end of the 52 weeks, you will no
longer qualify.
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How much does it pay?
The rate of Bereavement Allowance depends on how old you are
when your husband, wife or civil partner died.
The weekly rates are:
- 45 years old - £31.79
- 46 years old - £39.20
- 47 years old - £46.62
- 48 years old - £54.03
- 49 years old - £61.45
- 50 years old - £68.87
- 51 years old - £76.28
- 52 years old - £83.70
- 53 years old - £91.12
- 54 years old - £98.53
- 55 years old to State Pension age - £105.95
The rate of Bereavement Allowance may be reduced if your late
husband, wife or civil partner did not pay enough national
insurance contributions.
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How do I make a claim?
In England and Wales, the DWP Bereavement Service allows you to
report a death to the DWP in a single phone call. This allows you
to stop any DWP benefits the person who died was getting.
At the same time, the Bereavement Service can do a benefit check
to find out if you can claim any benefits and take a claim for
bereavement benefits or a funeral payment over the phone.
The contact details of the DWP Bereavement Service are:
Tel: 0845 606 0265
Textphone: 0845 606 0285
Tel: 0845 606 0275 (Welsh)
Textphone: 0845 606 0295 (Welsh).
If you want to make a claim yourself:
Download
a claim form from the Directgov website (link opens in a new
window) or phone Jobcentre Plus for a claim form:
Telephone: 0800 055 6688
Textphone: 0800 023 4888
Welsh language line: 0800 012 1888
In Northern Ireland
Phone the Pension Service claim line for a claim form:
Telephone: 0808 100 2658
Textphone: 0808 100 2198
Phone your local
Social Security/Jobs and Benefits Office (link opens in a new
window) for a claim form
Download
a claim form from the NI Direct website (link opens in a new
window)
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What documents will I need?
You must give your national insurance number and your partner's
national insurance number. You also have to give evidence of
who you are, for example, a driving licence or birth certificate.
You may also have to supply your husband, wife or civil partner's
death certificate, your marriage or civil partnership certificate
or other evidence to support your claim. However, if you do not
have this evidence, you should not delay claiming.
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Can it be backdated?
Bereavement Allowance can be backdated for up to three months if
you would have been entitled to it earlier. It does not matter why
your claim is late. Request this when claiming.
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Challenging decisions
If you disagree with the decision made on your benefit claim you
can ask for a written statement of reasons. If you still believe
the decision is wrong, for example due to incorrect information
being used, you can ask for it to be looked at again, and/or
appeal.
The time limits are strict, you will usually be given one
month to dispute a decision, so it is important to seek advice and
act quickly.
Further information on Challenges and
complaints
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Change of circumstances
Payment will be suspended if you start cohabiting whilst in
receipt of Bereavement Allowance but it can be reinstated if you
stop cohabiting and would still be entitled to the benefit.
Payment will stop if you marry or enter a civil partnership
whilst in receipt of Bereavement Allowance.
You must report changes in your circumstances which might affect
your entitlement to this benefit.
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This information has been produced by Citizens
Advice.
Last updated: 9 April 2012
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