Bereavement Allowance

Last updated April 2005

What is it?
Can I get it?
What else should I know?
How much will I get?
What happens if or someone I claim for go into hospital
How do I claim?
You can download a bereavement benefit claim form
More information
Other help

This benefit is dealt with by Jobcentre Plus.

What is it?

A new system of bereavement benefits for men and women was introduced in April 2001. The new system will not affect women who were already getting benefits under the previous scheme as long as they qualify under the rules.

A Bereavement Allowance is:

• Based on your late husband or wife's NI contributions
• Paid for 52 weeks from the date of bereavement
• Regular payments.

Can I get it?

Are you:

• a widow or widower who was aged 45 or over when your husband or wife died?
• not bringing up children?
• under state pension age?

If YES to all three, claim Bereavement Allowance.

What else should I know?

• If you are aged under 45 and do not have a dependent child or children you cannot get Widowed Parent's Allowance or Bereavement Allowance
• If you were over state pension age when you were widowed you may get extra Retirement Pension based on your husband or wife's NI contributions
• If your husband or wife died as a result of their job, you may be able to get bereavement benefits even if they did not pay enough NI
• You cannot get bereavement benefits if you were divorced from your husband or wife
• You cannot get bereavement benefits if you remarry or if you live with a partner as if you are married to them (in Scotland, special habit and repute provisions apply)
• Bereavement benefits are not affected if you work.
• The amount of Bereavement Allowance you get is based on your age when you were widowed or when Widowed Parent's Allowance ends, if within 52 weeks of bereavement.
• If you get Widowed Parent's Allowance you may be able to get the Additional Pension part of your husband or wife's state Retirement Pension. This is currently known as the State Earnings-Related Pension Scheme (SERPS).
• If you are already widowed you can get up to 100% of your late husband's or wife's SERPS.
• If your husband or wife is due to reach state pension age after 6 October 2002 but before 6 October 2010, when they die you will receive a maximum of between 90% and 60% of their SERPS. The exact amount will depend on when, in this period, they are due to reach state pension age.
• If your husband or wife is due to reach state pension age on or after 6 October 2010, you will receive up to 50% of their SERPS when they die.
• The Government plans to reform SERPS from 2002 to provide a more generous additional state pension for low and moderate earners, certain carers and people with a long-term illness or disability. This will be called the Second State Pension.
• The maximum amount of Second State Pension that a surviving husband or wife can inherit will be 50%.

How much will I get?

The standard rate is £82.05.

I go into hospital or someone I claim for goes into hospital?

You must tell your Jobcentre, Jobcentre Plus office or social security office as soon as you go into or come out of hospital. You must also tell them if someone you get benefit for goes into or comes out of hospital.

If you get extra money for someone who looks after your children for you, and that person goes into hospital, the extra money may stop straightaway.

How do I claim?

Claim straight away. If you delay you may lose benefit.

Contact your local office for a claim form. Find your local office on this site or look in the phone book under Benefits Agency, Jobcentre, Jobcentre Plus or social security office.

It is important that we can be sure of your identity when you make a claim. We may need to ask you about your background and look at any official documents you have to support the information you give.

You can download a Bereavement Benefit claim form

You can download a bereavement benefit claim form in PDF format. This form does not apply in Northern Ireland. Please choose a form from the options below.

If you want to fill in the form on screen  (923k).

This form only works in version 4, or above, of Adobe Acrobat reader which can be downloaded free of charge at

• We recommend that you save this file to your computer hard disk or a floppy disk before completing it.
• To save a copy of the file to disk right click with your mouse on the link below and choose the 'Save Target As' option.
• You can not save the form once you have opened it in an internet browser.
• After you have completed the form on screen, you will have to print and sign it.

If you want to print out a form to fill in with a pen  (184k)

The form comes with notes that will help you fill in the form and tell you where to send the completed form.

If you are having technical difficulties:

• downloading the form
• navigating around the form
• moving from page to page, or
• printing a hard copy

Please contact the eService Helpdesk.

More information

For more information or leaflets, get in touch with your local office.

Other help

Funeral Payments
Income Support
Jobseeker's Allowance

Remember that this website is only a general guide to benefits and schemes, and is not a full and authoritative statement of the law. We have made every effort to ensure that the information on this website is correct at the date shown at the top of the page. However, changes in the law may make the website become gradually less accurate.