Losing a partner is one of the hardest things anyone goes through, and dealing with money and benefits at the same time can feel overwhelming. There is support available, though what you can claim depends on your age and circumstances. This guide explains the main bereavement benefits and the help available after losing a partner, including what changes for those over State Pension age.
Bereavement Support Payment
The main bereavement benefit is Bereavement Support Payment, but it is only available if you were under State Pension age when your partner died. It is paid at one of two rates. The higher rate, for people entitled to Child Benefit or who were pregnant when their partner died, is a £3,500 lump sum followed by 18 monthly payments of £350. The standard rate, for others, is a £2,500 lump sum followed by 18 monthly payments of £100. These amounts have been frozen for several years.
Who can claim Bereavement Support Payment
To claim, you must have been married, in a civil partnership, or living together with your partner as if married, and your partner must have paid enough National Insurance, or have died because of an accident or disease caused by work. Cohabiting partners with children are now included. You should claim within three months of the death to receive the full amount, although you can claim up to 21 months afterwards for a reduced amount, so do not delay.
If you are over State Pension age
If you were over State Pension age when your partner died, you cannot claim Bereavement Support Payment, but other help may apply. You may be able to inherit part of your late partner's State Pension, your Pension Credit may change, and you may newly qualify for help you did not get before. The focus for older people is less on bereavement benefits and more on these adjustments to your ongoing income, so it is worth getting a full benefits check after a bereavement.
Inheriting State Pension
Depending on when your partner reached State Pension age and their National Insurance record, you may be able to inherit some of their State Pension. Under the older system, a surviving spouse or civil partner can sometimes inherit part of an additional State Pension, and under the new system there may be an inheritable protected payment. The rules are complex and depend on individual circumstances, so contact the Pension Service to find out what you are entitled to.
Check your Pension Credit
Losing a partner changes your household income, and you are now assessed as a single person. This can mean you newly qualify for Pension Credit, or qualify for more than before, even if you were turned down as a couple. Because Pension Credit unlocks so much other help, checking your entitlement again after a bereavement is one of the most important things to do, as your situation may have changed significantly.
Help with funeral costs
If you are on a qualifying means-tested benefit, you may be able to get a Funeral Expenses Payment towards the cost of a funeral, covering things like burial or cremation fees and some other costs. In Scotland, the equivalent is Funeral Support Payment from Social Security Scotland. These do not usually cover the whole cost of a funeral, but they can ease the financial pressure at a very difficult time, so it is worth checking whether you qualify.
The Tell Us Once service
Dealing with the practicalities after a death is daunting, but the Tell Us Once service makes one part easier. It lets you report a death to most government departments and services in one go, rather than contacting each separately, covering things like the State Pension, other benefits, and council services. When you register the death, you will usually be told how to use Tell Us Once, which can save a great deal of repeated paperwork.
Other practical help
After a bereavement you may also be entitled to a council tax reduction, such as the single person discount now that you live alone, and you should review any benefits that were based on you being a couple, as they will need updating. If your partner managed the finances, take your time, and do not be afraid to ask for help. Acting on the most urgent things first, and leaving the rest until you feel able, is perfectly reasonable.
Looking after yourself
Grief is exhausting, and there is no need to sort everything out at once. Beyond the financial help, emotional support is available from organisations such as Cruse Bereavement Support and through your GP. Leaning on family, friends and these services is important, and dealing with money matters a little at a time, with help, is far better than trying to face it all alone.
Tax and how it affects other benefits
Bereavement Support Payment is not taxable, and it does not affect your other benefits for the first 12 months. After that, any of the monthly payments you still receive can be treated as income for means-tested benefits, and any of the lump sum you still have left can count as savings if it takes you over the savings limit. Spending the lump sum on genuine needs within the year, rather than leaving it sitting, can help you avoid an unexpected reduction in other support.
Updating joint claims and accounts
After a partner dies, any benefits or claims that were based on you being a couple need updating, and you may need to make new claims as a single person. This includes things like Universal Credit, Pension Credit and Council Tax support. It can feel like a lot, but getting these updated makes sure you receive the right amount going forward and avoids overpayments, so it is worth working through them with help if you need it.
Take it a step at a time
There is no need to deal with everything at once. Register the death, use the Tell Us Once service, and handle the most urgent money matters first, then leave the rest until you feel more able. Bereavement is exhausting, and benefits offices and advice services understand that people need time. Asking a trusted friend, relative or adviser to help with the paperwork can lift a real weight at a hard time.
Help that does not depend on your age
Some support after a bereavement does not depend on reaching any particular age. Charitable grants, help from your energy supplier, and local welfare assistance from your council may all be available if money is tight, and a benefits check can pick up anything you are newly entitled to as a single person. Do not assume that being over State Pension age, or under it, rules out help; the right mix depends entirely on your own circumstances.
In short
Bereavement Support Payment helps those under State Pension age when a partner dies, at £4,300 or £9,800 in total depending on children. If you are over State Pension age, the focus is inheriting State Pension, rechecking Pension Credit as a single person, and help with funeral costs. Use Tell Us Once to report the death once.
Where to get help
Free, sympathetic help with bereavement benefits and your wider finances is available from Citizens Advice, Age UK and the Pension Service. They can check what you are entitled to and help you claim. For the gateway benefit that often changes after a bereavement, see our guide to Pension Credit.
