Can I get Bereavement Support Payment?
If your husband, wife or civil partner died on or after 6 April 2017, you may be able to get Bereavement Support Payment.
If your husband, wife or civil partner died before 6 April 2017, you may be able to claim Widowed Parent's Allowance instead.
If you were co-habiting with someone and had children together but weren't married, the law is being changed to allow you to get Bereavement Support Payment. The new law is likely to come into effect in Spring 2022 and should be backdated to August 2018.
Bereavement Support Payment 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 accident at work or a disease caused by their work, you might be able to get Bereavement Support Payment even if they didn't have an adequate national insurance record.
You cannot get Bereavement Support Payment if you were divorced or your civil partnership was dissolved when your husband, wife or civil partner died.
Bereavement Support Payment can be paid for up to 18 months from your husband, wife or civil partner's death but if you reach State Pension age before the end of the 18 months, you will no longer qualify.
November 2021