Up to £9,800 after a partner dies. Most people don't claim.

Who can claim?

You can claim Bereavement Support Payment if all five of these were true when your partner died:

1. Your husband, wife or civil partner died on or after 6 April 2017.
2. You were under State Pension age when they died.
3. You lived in the UK (or a country that pays bereavement benefits to UK claimants).
4. Your partner had paid National Insurance for at least 25 weeks in one tax year, or died because of an accident at work or work-related disease.
5. You were not divorced from your partner at the time of death.

You do not need to be on any other benefit. BSP is paid on top.

What about unmarried partners?

Following the Supreme Court ruling in McLaughlin v Department for Communities (Northern Ireland) (2018) and the Bereavement Benefits (Remedial) Order 2023, cohabiting partners with dependent children may now also claim BSP for deaths on or after 6 April 2017. If you were cohabiting and have a child you were both parents of (or you were pregnant), you can claim. Call the DWP Bereavement Service on 0800 731 0469 for confirmation of your specific case.

If the death was before 6 April 2017

The older system applies — Widowed Parent's Allowance (if you have dependent children) or Bereavement Allowance (if you don't). These are now closed to new claims for deaths on or after April 2017, but if your partner died earlier you may still be entitled. Contact the DWP Bereavement Service.

How much you get

There are two BSP rates, both tax-free, and they do not affect most other benefits for the first 12 months:

Higher rate

You get the higher rate if you were pregnant when your partner died, or you were entitled to Child Benefit at the time (whether or not you were actually claiming it).

• £3,500 one-off lump sum
• £350 a month for up to 18 months
• Maximum total: £9,800

Lower rate

Everyone else who qualifies:

• £2,500 one-off lump sum
• £100 a month for up to 18 months
• Maximum total: £4,300

How to claim

1. Get the death certificate — from the register office. You need this for everything.
2. Phone the DWP Bereavement Service on 0800 731 0469 (textphone 0800 731 0464). They take the claim by phone — usually a 20-30 minute call. Lines are open Mon-Fri 8am-6pm.
   • You can also claim online at gov.uk/bereavement-support-payment/how-to-claim if you prefer.
3. Have these ready:
   • Your partner's full name, date of birth, date of death, and National Insurance number
   • The death certificate or unique reference number from Tell Us Once
   • Your own National Insurance number, date of birth, and address
   • Your bank account details (sort code + account number)
4. Wait for the decision — usually 2-3 weeks. The lump sum arrives in your bank account first, with monthly payments starting shortly after.

Tell Us Once — the single notification

When someone dies, around 22 different UK government bodies need to know — HMRC, DWP, the Pension Service, your local council (Council Tax + Housing Benefit + Blue Badge), DVLA, the Passport Office, and more. Doing it separately takes weeks. The Tell Us Once service does it all in one go, for free.

How to use Tell Us Once

1. When you register the death at the local register office (within 5 days of death in England + Wales + NI; 8 days in Scotland), ask the registrar for a Tell Us Once reference number.
2. Within 28 days, use Tell Us Once either:
   • Online at gov.uk/tell-us-once (you'll need the reference number)
   • Or by phone — the registrar gives you a phone number
3. You provide one set of information once. Tell Us Once notifies:
   • HMRC (PAYE + Self Assessment + Marriage Allowance + tax credits)
   • DWP (UC + Pension Credit + Carer's Allowance + Attendance Allowance + PIP)
   • State Pension
   • The local council (Council Tax + Housing Benefit + Blue Badge + Council Tax Reduction)
   • DVLA (driving licence)
   • HM Passport Office (passport)
   • Public sector pensions

Funeral Expenses Payment — separate from BSP

Funeral Expenses Payment is a DIFFERENT payment that covers the cost of the funeral. You can claim it on top of BSP.

England, Wales, Northern Ireland

If you are responsible for arranging the funeral AND you (or your partner) receive certain benefits, you can claim:

• Burial fees, cremation fees, doctor's certificate fees, and necessary travel costs — covered in full
• Plus up to £1,000 towards other funeral costs (coffin, flowers, undertaker)
• Qualifying benefits: Universal Credit, Income Support, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit, Working Tax Credit (with disability element), Child Tax Credit

Call 0800 151 2012 or claim online via gov.uk/funeral-payments. Claim within 6 months of the funeral.

Scotland

The Scottish equivalent is Funeral Support Payment, administered by Social Security Scotland. The standard rate is £1,257.75 (rising annually). Apply via mygov.scot/funeral-support-payment or call 0800 182 2222. Apply within 6 months of the funeral.

What else unlocks after a death

Bereavement opens UK money routes that are easy to miss while you're grieving:

• Council Tax single-person discount (25%) — if you live alone now, your Council Tax drops by 25%. Backdate to the date of death.
• Council Tax Reduction — if your income dropped sharply, you may qualify (8 weeks backdating in most councils). See our Council Tax band guide.
• Pension Credit — if you're over State Pension age, the death of a partner may now mean you qualify (or qualify for more). See our Pension Credit guide.
• Marriage Allowance refund — if you and your partner used Marriage Allowance, HMRC may refund up to 4 years' worth. See our Marriage Allowance guide.
• Inherited ISA (Additional Permitted Subscription) — if your partner had a cash or stocks-and-shares ISA, you get a one-off APS allowance equal to the value of their ISA on the date of death. Tax-free transfer; doesn't count against your normal £20k ISA limit. Ask their bank.
• Joint accounts — usually pass to you automatically (no probate needed). The bank just needs the death certificate.
• Workplace pension lump sum — many workplace pensions pay a death-in-service lump (2x-4x salary) tax-free to the named beneficiary. Check your partner's workplace pension scheme.
• State Pension top-up — if your partner had a higher State Pension than you, you may inherit part of it. The Pension Service will write to you automatically if Tell Us Once was used.
• Free legal help — Cruse Bereavement Support (0808 808 1677) offer free emotional support. Citizens Advice (0800 144 8848) offer free benefits and debt help. Many local Law Centres handle probate questions for free if your income is low.

If you need support today

Grief is exhausting and there's no rush on the admin. But there are free UK helplines that can help:

• Cruse Bereavement Support — 0808 808 1677 (Mon-Fri 9.30am-5pm + extended hours on Tue/Wed/Thu evenings). Free, no appointment needed.
• Samaritans — 116 123, free, 24/7. For any kind of distress, not just suicidal thoughts.
• The Good Grief Trust — thegoodgrieftrust.org. UK-wide grief support directory.
• WAY (Widowed and Young) — for widows/widowers under 51. widowedandyoung.org.uk.
• Marie Curie — 0800 090 2309. Support after death of someone with a terminal illness.
• DWP Bereavement Service — 0800 731 0469 (textphone 0800 731 0464) for benefits-after-death questions.