Bereavement Payment
Bereavement Payment or what used to be called Widow’s Payment, is a one-off lump sum of £2,000 that may be paid to qualifying bereaved individuals. Before this payment can be made, certain criteria must be met. This payment will not need to be repaid, however it will only be paid once. Bereavement Payment is not an on-going benefit.
Qualifying for Bereavement Payment
There are certain eligibility requirements for Bereavement Payment. Applicants must be the husband, wife or civil partner of the deceased and the deceased must have paid National Insurance contributions. If the deceased did not make National Insurance contributions, then his or her death must have been caused by their job. In addition, the deceased must not have qualified for Category A State Retirement Benefit at the time of his or her death. The applicant must also have been under the age of qualifying for State Pension (60 years of age for women, 65 years of age for men) at the time of the death. Applicants who were divorced at the time of the death, living with someone else at the time of the death or were in prison at the time of the death will not be eligible for Bereavement Payment.
Applying for Bereavement Payment
Bereavement Payment applications may be made within 12 months (one year) of the death. Applications may be made via form BB1 from the Department for Work and Pensions or by ordering a Bereavement Benefits pack from the local Jobcentre Plus or social security office. This pack will include all information necessary to complete an application. Proof of all information entered onto the form may be needed, such as the applicant’s identity, the deceased’s employment and/or National Insurance contributions, and/or cause of death (for example, if it was caused while on the job). Official documents will likely be needed to confirm this information. All completed applications should then be sent back to the Jobcentre Plus or social security office in order for a decision to be made regarding eligibility and approval for Bereavement Payment. If an application is denied, the applicant does have the right to ask for a re-calculation or to officially appeal the decision.
Receiving Bereavement Paymentq
If all of the eligibility criteria are met and an application for Bereavement Payment is approved, it will be paid as a one-off lump sum of £2,000 that is exempt from tax. This amount will be paid via direct deposit/Direct Payment to the applicant’s bank account, building society account, Post Office account or National Savings account. While this payment will not likely affect the receipt of other benefits, it will boost the applicant’s total savings and therefore may cause the amount of any means-tested benefits to be reduced. This may include Income Support, (income based) Jobseeker’s Allowance, Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax.
Bereavement Payment, a one-off, tax-free lump sum of £2,000 may be granted to individuals who qualify for this assistance. Qualification for Bereavement Payment depends upon the applicant’s age, the applicant’s relationship to the deceased, the deceased’s employment and National Insurance contributions and the deceased’s status in regards to Category A State Retirement Benefit. Further information on Bereavement Payment can be obtained from any and all Jobcentre Plus or social security offices.
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