Can I still claim Widow's Bereavement Allowance in the UK?

Full answer

The Widow's Bereavement Allowance was an Income Tax allowance that gave a surviving spouse an extra tax-free amount in the year of their partner's death and sometimes the following year. It was abolished for deaths from 6 April 2000, so it cannot be claimed today. If you have seen it referenced, the information is out of date. What replaced it is a mix of benefits and other tax reliefs rather than a single allowance: Bereavement Support Payment is the main current support. It is a DWP benefit (not a tax allowance) paid to people whose spouse or civil partner died, provided the deceased had paid enough National Insurance or died from a work-related cause. It is paid as a lump sum followed by monthly instalments for a fixed period. The exact rates are set by the DWP, so check gov.uk for the current figures -- they are not on the tax rate card. Widowed Parent's Allowance is a legacy benefit that some claimants who were bereaved before April 2017 may still receive, but it is closed to new claims. For Income Tax, a surviving spouse may benefit from the Marriage Allowance, which lets a lower earner transfer part of their Personal Allowance (GBP 12,570 for 2026/27) to a basic-rate spouse -- though this only applies while both partners are alive. After bereavement, the survivor simply uses their own Personal Allowance and bands in the normal way. Worked context: a widow with a salary of GBP 30,000 in 2026/27 pays no tax on the first GBP 12,570 and 20% on the rest, plus employee National Insurance at 8% above the threshold. Use a take-home pay calculator to see the net figure. For bereavement benefits, apply directly through gov.uk.

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