8. Help if your husband, wife or civil partner dies
[ch 8: page 72]What’s new?
In August 2018, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of a bereaved mother who was not married to her children’s father. It said that denying bereavement benefits to unmarried, cohabiting partners with children is incompatible with human rights law.
From 6 April 2017, a new benefit, Bereavement Support Payment, replaced the previous suite of bereavement benefits (Bereavement Payment, Bereavement Allowance and Widowed Parent’s Allowance) for those whose spouse or civil partner dies on or after this date. The changes do not affect those already in receipt of the previous bereavement benefits. They continue to receive their current benefits for the natural lifetime of the award, which are:
• Bereavement Payment (a one-off, tax-free, lump-sum payment of £2,000);
• Bereavement Allowance (for those with no dependent children);
• Widowed Parent’s Allowance (for those with dependent children);
• some inherited State Earnings-Related or Additional Pension; and
• Funeral Payments.
These benefits were not available for people who:
• were divorced;
• remarried, or lived with someone as a couple without being legally married, or in a civil partnership; or
• were in prison or being held in legal custody.