SolvedEIM76170 | Social security benefits: bereavement benefits: summary
From HM Revenue & Customs · Employment Income Manual
Deaths before 6 April 2017
From 9 April 2001 until 5 April 2017, a new system of bereavement benefits (BB) for widows and widowers replaced the previous widow’s benefits (WB). For details of WB before 9 April 2001 see EIM76176.
BB replaced the WB previously available only to widows of working age, but the changes did not affect those receiving WB before 9 April 2001. Widows receiving widowed mother’s allowance (see EIM76177) or widow’s pension (see EIM76178) before that date, who meet the previous entitlement conditions, continued to receive WB.
Bereavement benefits (BB)
These benefits were available to people who were legally married or in a civil partnership but were not available to:
persons divorced from their late husband or wife or whose civil partnership has been dissolved
persons who remarry following the death of a husband or wife or forms a new civil partnership
persons living with someone else as husband or wife or a civil partners
persons in prison or in legal custody.
Types of BB
There were three types of BB:
Information
If claimants ask for advice and/or help in claiming BB they should be directed to the nearest Benefit Agency Office.
Deaths on or after 6 April 2017
Bereavement Support Payment (BSP) has replaced Bereavement Allowance, Bereavement Payment, and Widowed Parent’s Allowance for deaths on or after 6 April 2017.
See EIM76171 for details of BSP.