What are the payment tiers for Bereavement Support Payment?

Full answer

Bereavement Support Payment (BSP) replaced the older bereavement benefits system (Bereavement Allowance, Widowed Parent's Allowance, and the Bereavement Payment lump sum) for deaths occurring on or after 6 April 2017, and is structured around two distinct payment tiers depending on your family circumstances at the time of bereavement. **Who can claim at all** To claim BSP, your spouse or civil partner must have died, and you must have been under State Pension age at the time of their death, and your late spouse or civil partner must generally have paid enough National Insurance contributions (or died because of an accident at work or a recognised industrial disease, in which case the NI contribution condition is waived). Unmarried partners, even long-term cohabiting ones, are not eligible for BSP, which remains a significant gap criticised by bereavement charities. **The higher rate -- for those with dependent children** If you were entitled to Child Benefit when your spouse or civil partner died (or you weren't claiming it but were entitled to), or you were pregnant at the time of their death, you qualify for the higher rate, consisting of a larger initial lump sum followed by 18 higher monthly payments. **The standard rate -- no dependent children** If you don't have dependent children (i.e., you weren't entitled to Child Benefit and weren't pregnant), you receive the standard rate, which is a smaller initial lump sum followed by 18 lower monthly payments. **Payment structure -- lump sum plus 18 months** Both tiers follow the same basic structure: an initial lump sum paid shortly after your claim is approved, followed by up to 18 further monthly instalments. If you claim more than three months after the death, you may lose some of the monthly instalments, since payments are calculated from the date of death, not the date you claim -- claiming within three months ensures you receive the full entitlement. **Time limit to claim** You generally have up to 21 months from the date of death to claim BSP and still receive some payment, though claiming as soon as possible after bereavement maximises the total amount received, since the monthly payments run out after 18 months regardless of when you start claiming within that window. **Tax-free and doesn't affect other benefits directly, but is treated as capital/income for means-testing** BSP itself is tax-free, but the lump sum can affect entitlement to means-tested benefits like Universal Credit if it pushes your savings above the relevant capital limits, so claimants receiving other means-tested support should consider the timing and budgeting implications carefully. **How to claim** BSP is claimed through the DWP, either online, by phone, or by post, and you'll usually need your late spouse or civil partner's National Insurance number and death certificate details as part of the claim. **Practical tip** Claim as soon as you feel able to after the death, since delaying beyond three months reduces the total monthly payments you'll receive even though the overall 21-month claim deadline is longer -- if you're not ready to deal with paperwork immediately, ask a trusted family member or friend to help gather the necessary documents early even if you submit the claim a little later.

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