Bereavement Support Payment

Bereavement Support Payment (BSP) is a benefit that may be available if your husband, wife, or civil partner died on or after 6 April 2017. In some cases, unmarried partners may also be eligible.

It is not means-tested and can be claimed regardless of your income or employment status.

Relationship to the person who has died

To qualify for BSP, the person who died must have been:

• Your husband or wife
• Your Civil partner
• Your Cohabiting partner, only if both of the following apply:

 

-You were living together as if married at the time of death, and

-You are entitled to Child Benefit for a child you were both responsible for, or you are pregnant

Age rules

You must have been under State Pension age when your partner died to be eligible for BSP.

Eligibility

The person who has died must have either:

• Paid Class 1 or Class 2 National Insurance contributions for at least 25 weeks in one tax year, OR
• Died as a result of a workplace accident or a disease caused by their job

 

How much can I receive?

✅ Lump Sum Payment

• £3,500 if you have children or are pregnant
• £2,500 if you do not have children and are not pregnant

⚠️ Must be claimed within 12 months of the date of death. Usually paid alongside the first monthly payment.

✅ Monthly Payments (for up to 18 months)

• £350 per month if you have children or are pregnant
• £250 per month if you do not have children (but were married or in a civil partnership)

Monthly payments are made in arrears and usually on the same day of the month as the date of death. If this falls on the 29th, 30th, or 31st, payment will be made on the last day of the month.

⏰ Backdating Rules

• Claims can be backdated by 3 months from the application date
• It’s important to claim within 3 months of the date of death to avoid losing monthly payments for the earlier months
• Backdating is automatic when you claim

 

If eligible, will it affect current benefits I receive?

Bereavement Support Payment will not affect benefits for a year after the first payment. After a year, money left from the first payment (one off sum) could affect the amount you get if you renew or make a claim for another benefit. Bereavement Support Payment is not counted as income within the benefit cap. Bereavement Support Allowance can be paid alongside both contributory and non-contributory benefits.

Is Bereavement Support Payment taxable?

No, Bereavement Support Payment is not taxable.

Can payments stop?

Yes, even if you are eligible for Bereavement Support Payment, payments will stop if you reach state pension age, or if you are sentenced to prison or on remand. If on remand and subsequently released, then payments can be reinstated.

What if I re-marry?
Starting cohabiting with someone else, remarrying, or forming a new civil partnership does not affect entitlement to bereavement support payment.

Can Funeral Experts advise me on eligibility?

Our bereavement advisors are trained to advise you around eligibility to Bereavement Support Payment. Call us now to find out more.