What is Bereavement Support Payment?
Bereavement Support Payment is a benefit paid to widows, widowers, or surviving civil partners who are bereaved on or after 6 April 2017.
It replaces Bereavement Allowance, Widowed Parent's Allowance and Bereavement Payment for people whose husband or wife died on or after 6 April 2017.
It consists of an initial lump-sum followed by up to 18 monthly instalments.
If your husband, wife or civil partner died before 6 April 2017, you may be able to claim Widowed Parent's Allowance instead.
The law is being changed to allow unmarried parents to claim. The law is planned to come into effect in September 2022 and will be backdated to 30 August 2018.
Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
Age rules: You must be old enough to marry or enter into a civil partnership and be below State Pension age
Type of benefit: Non means tested
Taxable: No
Administered by: Jobcentre Plus
April 2022