After more than a decade, the campaign to extend bereavement benefits to parents and carers of dependent children when their cohabiting partner dies has finally prevailed.
Cohabiting parents and carers whose partner died on or after 9 February 2023 are now able to claim the Bereavement Support Payment if they meet all the other eligibility criteria. Around 18,000 more people are expected to be able to claim each year.
It is also estimated that around 21,000 families will be eligible for retrospective claims, but they only have 12 months from the law change, until 9 February 2024, to apply. We believe the funeral industry has an important role to play in reaching some of these people.
Where someone’s partner died between 6 April 2017 and 8 February 2023 they may be able to make a retrospective claim for Bereavement Support Payment.
To check the eligibility criteria and make a claim visit:
- England, Wales and Scotland: https://www.gov.uk/bereavement-support-payment
- Northern Ireland: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/bereavement-support-payment
Where their partner died before 6 April 2017 they can make a retrospective claim for Widowed Parent’s Allowance.
To check the eligibility criteria and make a claim visit:
- England, Wales and Scotland: https://www.gov.uk/widowed-parents-allowance
- Northern Ireland: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/widowed-parents-allowance
A back payment may have an impact on the claimant's tax or wider finances, especially if their partner died before 6 April 2017, so if people are in any doubt about this it would be best to get specialist advice before making a claim.
For more information, please visit the Childhood Bereavement Network and WAY Widowed and Young websites.
Campaign background
QSA’s Down to Earth team was privileged to be a part of the campaign, coordinated by the Childhood Bereavement Network (CBN), and to work alongside WAY Widowed and Young, Child Poverty Action Group and Low Incomes Tax Reform Group. Crucial to the campaign though was the bravery of bereaved parents Siobhan McLaughlin, James Jackson and Kevin Simpson who challenged the Government in court on behalf of their children.
While we celebrate this change, it is particularly unjust that it comes less than a month after a legal challenge on behalf of co-habitees without dependent children was denied, meaning they continue to be denied access to this crucial financial support when they suffer the loss of their partner. People we work with experience the same financial difficulties and the same grief regardless of their relationship’s legal status and must be given access to bereavement benefits.