Section 3 | Late claims for bereavement benefit where death is difficult to establish F1
From legislation.gov.uk
26 October 2026
(1)This section applies where a person's spouse or civil partner has died or may be presumed to have died on or after the appointed day and the circumstances are such that—F1F2
(a)more than 12 months have elapsed since the date of death; andF1
(b)eitherF1
(i)the spouse's or civil partner's body has not been discovered or identified or, if it has been discovered and identified, the surviving spouse or civil partner does not know that fact; orF1F3F2
(ii)less than 12 months have elapsed since the surviving spouse or civil partner first knew of the discovery and identification of the body.F1F2
(2)Where this section applies, notwithstanding that any time prescribed for making a claim for a bereavement benefit in respect of the death has elapsed, then—F1F2
(a)in any case falling within paragraph (b) (i) of subsection (1) above where it has been decided under section 8 of the Social Security Act 1998 that the spouse or civil partner has died or is presumed to have died; orF1F2
(b)in any case falling within paragraph (b) (ii) of subsection (1) above where the identification was made not more than 12 months before the surviving spouse or civil partner first knew of the discovery and identification of the body,F1F2
such a claim may be made or treated as made at any time before the expiration of the period of 12 months beginning with the date on which that decision was made or, as the case may be, the date on which the surviving spouse or civil partner first knew of the discovery and identification.
(4)In subsection (1) above “the appointed day” means the day appointed for the coming into force of sections 54 to 56 of the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999.F1
(5)In subsection (2) “bereavement benefit” means—F1F5