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NP45 - A guide to Bereavement BenefitsHow much you getIf you are aged 55 or over when you are widowed or become a surviving civil partner, you get a basic allowance at the full rate. If you are aged between 45 and 54 you will get a percentage of the full rate. This percentage is fixed and will not increase with a birthday. The latest rates are given in leaflet GL23 Social security benefit rates. What happens when you get to pensionable ageYou cannot continue to get Bereavement Allowance when you reach pension age. You can choose to claim State Pension. [Legislation (24)] If you claim, you will get:
- basic State Pension calculated using both your late spouse's or civil partner's and your contribution record [Legislation (25)]
- and any Graduated Retirement Benefit you have earned [Legislation (26)]
- and any Additional Pension you have earned
- and half of the Graduated Retirement Benefit earned by your late late husband, wife or civil partner
- and any Additional Pension you can inherit from your late late husband, wife or civil partner
For more details see leaflet NP46 A guide to State Pensions. Table 2 – Which benefits you can get (men and women widowed on or after 9 April 2001, or men and women who become surviving civil partners on or after 5 December 2005) This table shows the bereavement benefits or Retirement Pension you may be able to get when your husband or wife dies. The meaning of dependent children is given in the section ‘Who can get Widowed Parent‘s Allowance’.
| Your age when your husband, wife or civil partner died |
What you may be able to get |
| Under 45 with no dependent children |
Bereavement Payment only |
| Under pension age with dependent children |
Bereavement Payment, and Widowed Parent‘s Allowance |
| Under pension age with no dependent children, but expecting your late husband‘s baby |
Bereavement Payment, and Widowed Parent‘s Allowance |
| 45 or over, but under pension age |
Bereavement Payment, and Bereavement Allowance |
| Over pension age, husband, wife or civil partner not entitled to Category A Retirement Pension at date of death |
Bereavement Payment, and Retirement Pension |
| Over pension age, husband, wife or civil partner getting Retirement Pension at date of death |
State Pension |
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