What money can I get if my partner dies?

If your spouse or civil partner died, you may be eligible for Bereavement Support Payment, up to £3,500 lump sum plus 18 monthly payments. It is not means-tested but you must claim within 21 months.

How do I get help paying for a funeral?

If you receive a qualifying benefit (Universal Credit, Income Support, Pension Credit and others), you may be able to claim a Funeral Expenses Payment from DWP. The payment covers burial or cremation fees and a contribution to other costs.

Is there a bereavement payment in the UK?

Yes, Bereavement Support Payment for surviving spouses and civil partners under State Pension age. It replaced the older Bereavement Allowance and Bereavement Payment in 2017.

What if I'm not married?

Since February 2023, cohabiting partners with dependent children can also claim Bereavement Support Payment if the death was on or after 30 August 2018. Claims can be backdated.

Most bereavement benefits are claimed through gov.uk or by phoning the DWP Bereavement Service on 0800 151 2012. You usually need the death certificate and your National Insurance number.

What money can I get to help when someone dies?

Last reviewed May 2026 by Naomi Jackson

The UK has several bereavement benefits and grants that go unclaimed every year because people don't know they exist. Here's a clear summary of what's available.

Short answer

If your spouse or civil partner died, Bereavement Support Payment pays a lump sum of up to £3,500 plus 18 monthly payments, and it is not means-tested. If you receive a qualifying benefit, a Funeral Expenses Payment can cover burial or cremation fees. Children's Funeral Fund covers a child's funeral fees in England and Wales.

Bereavement Support Payment: Up to £3,500 lump sum plus 18 monthly payments
Claim deadline: Within 21 months of the death for the full amount
Funeral Expenses Payment: For people on a qualifying benefit, covers burial or cremation fees
Children's funerals: Fees covered by the Children's Funeral Fund in England and Wales

Who qualifies, the bits that catch people out

Two pieces of eligibility nuance change who gets paid more than anything else:

•Cohabiting partners now qualify. Since February 2023, unmarried partners with dependent children can claim Bereavement Support Payment if the death occurred on or after 30 August 2018. Claims can be backdated, which matters if your partner died some years ago and you were told you didn't qualify.
•National Insurance contributions matter. For Bereavement Support Payment, the deceased generally needed to have paid NI for at least 25 weeks across their working life, or died from a work-related cause. Most working adults clear this comfortably, but it can rule out people who only ever worked overseas or were self-employed without contributing.
•The 3-month deadline isn't the final deadline. Claim within 3 months for the full amount; you have up to 21 months to claim something, with monthly payments reduced for each month you wait.

Bereavement Support Payment

Who can claim: Spouses, civil partners, and (since 2023) cohabiting partners with dependent children.
How much: £3,500 lump sum + 18 monthly payments of £350 (higher rate, with children), or £2,500 + £100 monthly (standard rate).
Deadline: Claim within 3 months of the death to get the full amount. You have 21 months to claim something.
How to claim: Apply at gov.uk or call 0800 151 2012. Not means-tested. Won't affect other benefits for 12 months.

Funeral Expenses Payment

Who can claim: If you or your partner receive a qualifying benefit (Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income Support, Housing Benefit, Working/Child Tax Credit, JSA or ESA).
How much: Covers burial or cremation fees in full, plus up to £1,000 toward other costs (coffin, transport, funeral director's fees).
Deadline: Claim within 6 months of the funeral.
How to claim: Apply at gov.uk/funeral-payments. The payment goes to whoever paid for the funeral, usually you, then it's taken back from the estate if there's money to repay it.

Widowed Parent's Allowance (legacy)

Who can claim: Replaced by Bereavement Support Payment from 6 April 2017, but still relevant for older claims and back-dating where eligible.
How much: A weekly payment set by DWP, based on your partner's National Insurance record. The rate changes each April, so check the current figure on GOV.UK.
Deadline: Older claim, speak to DWP if your partner died before April 2017 and you've never claimed.
How to claim: DWP Bereavement Service: 0800 151 2012.

Children's Funeral Fund

Who can claim: Anyone arranging the funeral of a child under 18 (or a stillborn baby after the 24th week of pregnancy) in England.
How much: Covers burial/cremation fees and a contribution to the coffin.
Deadline: No deadline.
How to claim: The funeral director claims it on your behalf, you don't pay these fees up front.

Council hardship and bereavement grants

Who can claim: Varies by council. Many local councils have a Local Welfare Assistance Scheme that can offer one-off bereavement support.
How much: Varies, typically £50–£500.
Deadline: Varies.
How to claim: Search your council's website for 'local welfare assistance' or 'crisis grant', or call them directly.

Pensions and life insurance

Who can claim: Anyone named as a beneficiary on a workplace pension, personal pension or life insurance policy.
How much: Varies. Many workplace pensions pay a lump-sum 'death in service' benefit of 2–4× annual salary.
Deadline: Varies, usually claim within 2 years.
How to claim: Contact the pension scheme or HR department. Most pay outside the estate, so the money doesn't wait for probate.

Try our eligibility checker

Our free bereavement financial help checker walks through your situation and tells you which of these you may be entitled to.

Other places to look

•Charity grants, Turn2us, Age UK, Cruse, and SSAFA all run hardship grant programmes.
•Employer death-in-service benefits, check the contract or HR.
•Mortgage protection and PPI, sometimes pay off a mortgage automatically on death.
•Trade union or professional body bereavement funds.

Eligibility rules and rates can change. Always check gov.uk for the current amounts before relying on any figure. This is general guidance, not financial advice.