Bereavement benefits, grants or other financial support

Bereavement Payment

ou may be able to get Bereavement Payment if, when your husband, wife or civil partner died, you were either:

  • under State Pension age
  • over State Pension age and your husband, wife or civil partner wasn’t entitled to a State Pension based on their own national insurance contributions

Additionally, your husband, wife or civil partner must have either:

  • paid enough National Insurance contributions
  • died because of an industrial accident or disease

 

When you can’t get Bereavement Payment

You can’t get Bereavement Payment if any of the following are true:

  • you were divorced from your husband, wife or civil partner
  • you’re living with another person as husband, wife or civil partner
  • you’re in prison

 

If you’re abroad

If you’ve moved abroad contact the International Pension Centre to find out if you can claim.

Bereavement and widows’ benefits if you’re abroad
Telephone: +44 191 21 87608

Department for Work and Pensions
Bereavement and widows’ benefits
International Pension Centre
Tyneview Park
Newcastle-upon-Tyne
NE98 1BA

You must include your:

 

How to claim

You can apply using a form or by phone.

Apply using a form

Download and fill in the Bereavement Benefits pack (form BB1).

You can also get the form from your local Jobcentre Plus in person or by ordering over the phone.

The pack has notes to help you fill in the form.

Take the completed form to your local Jobcentre Plus or send it to:

Dover Benefit Centre
Post Handling Site B
Wolverhampton
WV99 1LA

Alternative formats

Call the Bereavement Service helpline to ask for alternative formats, such as braille, large print or audio CD.

Apply by phone

Call the Bereavement Service helpline.

Bereavement Service helpline

Telephone: 0345 606 0265

Textphone: 0345 606 0285

Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm

When you need to apply by

You can claim Bereavement Payment up to 12 months after your husband, wife or civil partner dies.

You should claim within 3 months if you’re also claiming Widowed Parent’s Allowance or Bereavement Allowance.

How Bereavement Payment is paid

Bereavement Payment is usually paid into your bank, building society or credit union account.

Appeal a decision

You can appeal to the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal if you disagree with a decision. You must usually ask for ‘mandatory reconsideration’ before you appeal.

Effect on other benefits

Bereavement Payment can affect your entitlement to:

You can ask your Jobcentre Plus adviser how this works.

Find us

Southwark Carers
3rd Floor, Walworth Methodist Church,
54 Camberwell Road, London, SE5 0EW
View map and directions

Contact us

020 7708 4497

Find us

Nearest tube: Elephant & Castle underground station (Northern and Bakerloo lines).

Nearest Railway Station: Elephant & Castle

Buses from Elephant and Castle: ask bus driver for Burgess Park. Bus numbers: 12, 171, 148, 176, 68, 484, 42, 40, 45