Bereavement Support Payment is paid to people under State Pension age whose husband, wife, civil partner or cohabiting partner has died. The higher rate, for those with children or who were pregnant, is a first payment of £3,500 followed by 18 monthly payments of £350, £9,800 in total; the standard rate is £2,500 followed by 18 payments of £100, £4,300 in total. The full amount is only available to those who claim within three months of the death. It is not means tested, is not taxable, and does not affect other benefits for a year.
The amounts
| First payment | Monthly payments | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Higher rate, with dependent children or pregnant | £3,500 | 18 payments of £350 | £9,800 |
| Standard rate | £2,500 | 18 payments of £100 | £4,300 |
The higher rate applies where you were receiving or entitled to Child Benefit for a child living with you when your partner died, or you were pregnant. The payments are the same whatever your income, savings or work, and they replaced the older Bereavement Allowance and Widowed Parent’s Allowance for deaths from April 2017. The Bereavement Support Payment checker shows the total due for your circumstances and the date of the death.
Who qualifies
You must have been under State Pension age when your partner died and living in the UK or a country that pays the benefit. Your partner must have paid Class 1 or Class 2 National Insurance contributions for at least 25 weeks in a single tax year since 6 April 1975, or have died as a result of an accident at work or an industrial disease. Since February 2023 cohabiting partners who were not married or in a civil partnership qualify for the higher rate where they had a dependent child, with claims for deaths back to August 2018 accepted for a period; couples without children must have been married or in a civil partnership. People over State Pension age cannot claim, but may inherit part of a late partner’s State Pension or additional pension, which our State Pension guide describes.
Claim within three months
| Claim made | What is paid |
|---|---|
| Within 3 months of the death | The first payment and all 18 monthly payments |
| Between 3 and 12 months | The first payment, with one monthly payment lost for each month of delay beyond three |
| Between 12 and 21 months | Monthly payments only, reduced for the delay; no first payment |
| After 21 months | Usually nothing |
A claim made six months after the death, for example, still brings the £3,500 first payment at the higher rate but only 15 monthly payments, £8,750 in total. Claiming is by phone to the Bereavement Service helpline, online, or on form BSP1, and the same call can register a claim for other help. The payment goes into a bank account and the first sum normally arrives within a few weeks of the claim being accepted.
Effect on other benefits and tax
Bereavement Support Payment is not taxable and is not counted as income for Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction. Any of the money still held twelve months after the first payment is treated as savings in the ordinary way, so a family on Universal Credit who keeps the £3,500 untouched should be aware of the £6,000 and £16,000 capital rules at that point. Our Universal Credit rates guide covers the capital rules and the elements for children.
Other help after a death
Child Benefit continues to the surviving parent, and a person bringing up a child whose parents have both died, or one has died and the other cannot be found, can claim Guardian’s Allowance on top; our Child Benefit guide covers the rates. Anyone receiving Universal Credit, Pension Credit or certain other benefits can apply for a Funeral Expenses Payment towards burial or cremation costs, recoverable from the estate. Tax on the estate itself, if any, falls under inheritance tax, and anything left to a spouse or civil partner is exempt, as our inheritance tax guide explains; the Tell Us Once service passes the death to HMRC, the DWP and the local council in one step.
Common questions
How much is Bereavement Support Payment? £3,500 then 18 monthly payments of £350 at the higher rate, £9,800 in total; £2,500 then 18 payments of £100 at the standard rate, £4,300 in total.
Who gets the higher rate? Anyone who was receiving or entitled to Child Benefit for a child living with them when their partner died, or who was pregnant at the time.
Is there a deadline? Yes. Claim within three months of the death for the full amount. Later claims lose monthly payments, claims after twelve months lose the first payment, and claims after 21 months usually get nothing.
Is it means tested or taxable? Neither. Income, savings and work do not affect it, and it is not taxable or counted as income for other benefits.
Can unmarried partners claim? Yes, at the higher rate, where they lived with the person who died and had a dependent child. Couples without children must have been married or in a civil partnership.
Can I claim if I am over State Pension age? No. The payment is for people under State Pension age. Those over it may inherit part of their late partner’s State Pension instead.
Information, not financial advice. Amounts and deadlines are the published figures on gov.uk: Bereavement Support Payment. Eligibility depends on the late partner’s National Insurance record, so contact the Bereavement Service if you are unsure whether you qualify.