Who is eligible for Bereavement Support Payment?
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In short: You may qualify if you were under State Pension age when your partner died and were married, civil partners, or living together as if married. Cohabiting survivors also need the Child Benefit or pregnancy conditions. Residence and the deceased partner’s National Insurance or work-related-death conditions apply.
Content updated:
For a cohabiting claim, you must normally have been receiving or confirmed as entitled to Child Benefit for a child living with you, or have been pregnant when your partner died. If your partner held the Child Benefit entitlement instead, claim Child Benefit in your name before applying. Check the separate rules for a backdated claim.
Your partner must have paid the required Class 1 or Class 2 National Insurance in a tax year since 6 April 1975, or died because of a work accident or work-related disease. You can apply even if unsure about their record; the Bereavement Service will check.
Usually claim within 3 months for the one-off payment and all 18 monthly payments. Between 3 and 12 months, the one-off payment can still be paid but there are fewer monthly payments; after 12 months the one-off payment is normally lost. Claims normally close after 21 months, with limited exceptions such as a recently confirmed cause of death.
Primary source: www.gov.uk/bereavement-support-payment/eligibility
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