Someone has just died? What to do now Find a funeral director near you
Menu
After the funeral

Bereavement Support Payment: help if your partner has died

Updated 6 min readChecked against official UK sources

Bereavement Support Payment is a tax-free payment for people whose husband, wife, civil partner or, in some cases, cohabiting partner died while they were under State Pension age. You get a lump sum of £2,500 or £3,500, then up to 18 monthly payments of £100 or £350. Claim within three months of the death to get the full amount.

When your partner dies, money worries can arrive at the worst possible time. Bereavement Support Payment is there to help with the costs that follow in the first year and a half. It isn’t means-tested, so your earnings and savings don’t matter, but there are time limits. This guide explains who can claim, how much you get and how to apply.

Key points

  • For people whose husband, wife or civil partner died, and for cohabiting partners with children since February 2023.
  • You must have been under State Pension age when your partner died.
  • You get a lump sum plus up to 18 monthly payments: up to £9,800 in total at the higher rate, or £4,300 at the lower rate.
  • Claim within three months to get everything. Claim within 21 months at the latest.
  • It’s not means-tested and tax-free, and doesn’t affect your benefits for the first year.
  • It’s paid for deaths on or after 6 April 2017. For earlier deaths, see Widowed Parent’s Allowance below.

Who can get it

When your partner died, you must have been:

  • under State Pension age
  • living in the UK, or in a country that pays bereavement benefits
  • married to them, in a civil partnership with them, or living with them as if you were married

Your partner must also have met the National Insurance condition (see below). You can’t claim while you’re in prison.

Your relationship Who qualifies Rate
Married or civil partners, with children or pregnant You were getting Child Benefit for a child who lived with you, had been told you were entitled to it, or were pregnant Higher rate
Married or civil partners, no children Everyone else who was married or in a civil partnership Lower rate
Living together, not married Only if you were getting Child Benefit for a child who lived with you, had been told you were entitled to it, or were pregnant Higher rate

Unmarried partners

The law changed on 9 February 2023 so that cohabiting parents can claim. If your partner was the one receiving Child Benefit, you’ll need to make a new Child Benefit claim in your own name before you apply.

DWP also opened a 12-month window for backdated claims by cohabiting parents whose partner died before that date. That window closed at the end of 8 February 2024.

Unmarried partners without children can’t get Bereavement Support Payment. Our guide to next of kin rights explains other ways the law treats unmarried partners differently.

The National Insurance condition

Your partner must have either:

  • paid enough Class 1 or Class 2 National Insurance contributions in at least one tax year since 6 April 1975 (Citizens Advice and DWP describe this as at least 25 weeks’ worth in one year), or
  • died because of an accident at work or a disease caused by their work.

You don’t need to work this out yourself. If you’re not sure, claim anyway and the Bereavement Service will check.

How much you get

These are the maximum amounts shown on GOV.UK at the time of writing.

Rate One-off lump sum Monthly payments Most you can get
Higher rate £3,500 18 × £350 £9,800
Lower rate £2,500 18 × £100 £4,300

Payments go into your bank, building society or credit union account. If you reach State Pension age within 18 months of your partner’s death, the payments stop then, so you’ll get fewer monthly payments.

Time limits: claim as soon as you can

How quickly you claim affects how much you get.

When you claim What you get
Within 3 months of the death The lump sum and all 18 monthly payments
3 to 12 months after The lump sum, but fewer monthly payments
12 to 21 months after No lump sum, but some monthly payments
More than 21 months after Usually nothing

Citizens Advice explains that after three months you lose one monthly payment for each month your claim is late. If more than 21 months have passed because the cause of death was only recently confirmed, for example after an inquest, call the Bereavement Service helpline, as you may still be able to claim.

How to claim

Telling DWP about the death, through Tell Us Once or the Bereavement Service, is not the same as claiming. You need to make a claim yourself.

You’ll need:

  • your National Insurance number
  • your partner’s National Insurance number
  • the date your partner died
  • your bank or building society details

England, Scotland and Wales

Bereavement Support Payment is a DWP benefit wherever you live in Great Britain. You can:

  • apply online through GOV.UK
  • call the Bereavement Service on 0800 151 2012 (Welsh language: 0800 731 0453), Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
  • apply by post using form BSP1, which you can download or ask the helpline to send you

In Scotland, mygov.scot lists it alongside Scottish benefits such as the Funeral Support Payment, but you still claim it from the DWP.

Northern Ireland

Claim through the Department for Communities’ Bereavement Service on 0800 085 2463 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm), or online or by post as set out on nidirect. The amounts and time limits are the same as in the rest of the UK.

If you live abroad

Contact the International Pension Centre, whose details are on the GOV.UK claim page.

Effect on other benefits and tax

  • It won’t affect your benefits for a year after your first payment.
  • After a year, any of the lump sum you still have could count as savings if you renew or make a new claim for another benefit.
  • You must tell your benefits office, such as Jobcentre Plus, when you start getting it.
  • DWP says it is tax-free and doesn’t count towards the benefit cap.

If your partner died before 6 April 2017: Widowed Parent’s Allowance

Bereavement Support Payment replaced Widowed Parent’s Allowance, Bereavement Allowance and Bereavement Payment. If you already get Widowed Parent’s Allowance, it continues until you stop being entitled to Child Benefit or reach State Pension age.

New claims are now only possible in limited cases. For example, a husband, wife or civil partner can claim if their partner died before 6 April 2017 and has only recently been declared dead. The backdating window for cohabiting parents closed on 8 February 2024. In England, Scotland and Wales you claim on paper, using form BB1 (married or civil partners) or BB2 (living together). In Northern Ireland, call the Bereavement Service and choose option 3. The amount depends on your partner’s National Insurance contributions.

Other help you may be able to get

Where to get help

Frequently asked questions

Can I get Bereavement Support Payment if we weren't married?
Yes, if you were living together as if you were married and, when your partner died, you were getting Child Benefit for a child who lived with you, had been told you were entitled to it, or were pregnant. Cohabiting partners have been able to claim since 9 February 2023. If your partner was the one getting Child Benefit, make a new Child Benefit claim in your own name first.
What happens if I claim late?
Claim within three months to get the lump sum and all 18 monthly payments. Between three and 12 months you still get the lump sum but fewer monthly payments. Between 12 and 21 months you get no lump sum, only some monthly payments. After 21 months you usually get nothing, unless the cause of death was only recently confirmed.
Will it affect my other benefits?
Not for a year after your first payment. After that, any of the lump sum you still have could affect benefits you renew or claim. You must tell your benefits office, such as Jobcentre Plus, when you start getting it. DWP says the payment is tax-free and doesn't count towards the benefit cap.
What if I'm not sure my partner paid enough National Insurance?
Claim anyway. The Bereavement Service will check your partner's record and tell you. If your partner died because of an accident at work or a disease caused by their work, the National Insurance condition doesn't apply.
I'm over State Pension age. Can I claim?
No. You must have been under State Pension age when your partner died, and payments stop if you reach it. A widow, widower or surviving civil partner may be able to inherit or increase their State Pension instead. See our pensions and benefits guide.
Is it different in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland?
The amounts and rules are the same across the UK. In England, Scotland and Wales you claim from the DWP, which has a Welsh-language line. In Northern Ireland you claim through the Department for Communities' Bereavement Service on 0800 085 2463.

Sources

We check guides against official sources and update them when rules change. Editorial policy · Report an error

Cite this page: FuneralFinder (2026). “Bereavement Support Payment: help if your partner has died”. https://funeralfinder.org/uk/guides/bereavement-support-payment/ (updated 26 September 2026).

Do I need probate?

Do I need probate? When a grant is needed in England and Wales, confirmation in Scotland and probate in Northern Ireland, what it costs and how to apply.

Bereavement leave and pay: your rights

UK bereavement leave and pay explained: time off for dependants, compassionate leave, Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay, and Bereavement Support Payment.

Changing your name after a bereavement

Widowed and thinking about your surname? Keeping your married name, going back to a maiden name, choosing a new name and your children's names — UK guide.

Dealing with debts after someone dies

Who pays debts after a death, when family members are liable, joint accounts, mortgages, insolvent estates and the order debts are paid, across the UK.

Pensions and benefits after a death: what stops and what you can claim

What happens to State Pension, workplace pensions and benefits when someone dies, how to report it, overpayments and what a surviving partner can claim.

Scattering ashes: UK rules and ideas

Scattering ashes in the UK: where you need permission, Environment Agency advice for rivers, the rules at sea, burying or keeping ashes, and practical tips.