From 6 April this year a new Bereavement Support Payment will be available to anyone up to state pension age who has lost a spouse or civil partner.
This new benefit replaces the current three-tiered system of Bereavement Payment, Bereavement Allowance and Widowed Parent’s Allowance. It will help people coping with the death of a spouse or civil partner, with financial support of up to £9,800 for up to 18 months to help with the additional costs that arise following a bereavement in the family. Additional amounts will be available to pregnant women and families with children to reflect their greater living costs.
Bereavement Support Payment will not be taxable, will not count towards the household benefit cap, will not be included when calculating income based benefits and will not affect entitlement to contribution based Jobseekers Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance.
Bereavement Support Payment will be paid as an initial sum of £2,500 and up to 10 monthly payments of £100. For recipients with children, these amounts will be £3,500 and £350 per month.
If you have suffered a bereavement and need legal advice our expert, caring team at Backhouse Solicitors are here to help. Whether you need help with a Will, obtaining Grant of Probate or a need a full Estate Administration we offer a FREE, 30 minute, no obligation consultation with an expert solicitor and we will guide you through this difficult time and take away as much of the stress as we can. To arrange an appointment, please contact us using the links below.
The Backhouse Solicitors Team
Tel: 01245 893400
