Care and support

Bereavement allowance

You may get this for 52 weeks from the date of death if:

• you are aged 45 or over but below pension age when your late spouse/civil partner died and
• you are not entitled to widowed parent's allowance and
• your late spouse / civil partner met the national insurance contribution conditions or their death was caused by industrial injury or disease.

You cannot receive bereavement allowance if you are over pension age (i.e. 60 or over for a woman or 65 or over for a man). When you reach pension age you may qualify for retirement pension based on your own or your late spouse’s / civil partner’s national insurance contributions.

How much will I get?

The full rate of bereavement allowance is £90.70 a week. However, the amount of bereavement allowance you receive may be reduced if:

• your late spouse’s / civil partner’s national insurance contribution record was incomplete or
• you were under 55 when s/he died. Bereavement allowance can range from £27.21 to £90.70 per week depending on how old you were when your late spouse / civil partner died.

How and when do I claim?

Claims for bereavement payment, widowed parent’s allowance and bereavement allowance can all be made on form BB1 available from your local jobcentre plus contact centre on 0800 0556688. You can also claim on-line at www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk

A claim for bereavement payment must be made within twelve months of your late spouse’s/ civil partner’s death unless you were unaware of the death. A claim for widowed parent’s allowance or bereavement allowance can be made at any time after your spouse’s / civil partner’s death but payment can only be backdated for three months from the date that you make your claim. However, as bereavement allowance can only be paid for 52 weeks, you should make a claim within three months of your spouse’s / civil partner’s death to avoid losing any money.