Cohabiting parents and bereavement benefits
If you have been affected by the death of a loved one and worried about money, from 9th February 2023, unmarried cohabiting partners with children are able to claim Bereavement Support Payment and Widowed Parent’s Allowance.
Previously these benefits were only available to partners who were married or in a civil partnership. The law has been changed following a court case, to ensure that more children will be supported regardless of their parent’s legal relationship status.
There is a special 12-month application window and backdating will be possible. Cohabiting partners whose partner died after 9th February 2023, will need to make a claim before February 2024. Otherwise, they will lose their entitlement. How much a surviving cohabiting partner can get, depends on the date of their partner’s death.
Read more about eligibility and how to apply here.
For further information, see below:
Bereavement Support Payment – Turn2us
Bereavement benefits extended to unmarried cohabiting parents – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Queen Elizabeth II – Johnnie Johnson Housing Ltd (jjhousing.co.uk)