Bereaved people living together with dependent children can now claim additional financial support.
Parliament has approved the draft Bereavement Benefits (Remedial) Order 2022, allowing parents who are not married or in a civil partnership to claim Widowed Parent’s Allowance, or the higher rate of Bereavement Support Plan, if one parent dies.
Some people may be eligible for backdated payments too, if their partner died before the new Order came into force on 9th February 2023.
Bereavement Support Payment
The BSP came into force on 6th April 2017, replacing earlier benefits including the Widowed Parent’s Allowance.
The benefit aims to provide help with the immediate costs associated with bereavement. A partner with dependent children receives a lump sum of £3,500 and up to 18 monthly payments of £350.
The new Order extends BSP to people with dependent children who cohabited with their deceased partner but who were not in a legal union – a marriage or civil partnership – with them. Partners must have been cohabiting at the time of the deceased’s death and may even be eligible to claim backdated payments
Director Lisa Lund comments on the new legislation:
“We welcome the approval of the Bereavement Benefits (Remedial) Order 2022, which recognises that the costs of bereavement affect any parent, and not just those in a marriage or civil partnership.
As the cost of living continues to rise, households already face so many additional challenges. In the event of the death of a parent and partner, it’s of some comfort that support with bereavement costs is available to more people at what is undoubtedly an incredibly difficult, emotional and worrying time.”
Practical bereavement support from the National Bereavement Service
The National Bereavement Service supports anyone who has experienced a bereavement, including sudden or traumatic bereavement, with practical and emotional information and advice from professional bereavement advisors with real, lived experience.
We help you to comply with legal requirements, signpost you to providers such as funeral directors and solicitors, and provide a listening ear that helps you through a very difficult time.
For personal, confidential, and practical help following a bereavement, or for advice when planning your future, call the NBS on 0800 0246 121 or visit www.thenbs.org
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