Financial help for the bereaved

A death in the family can cause money problems for those who are left. Whether the problems are short or long term, there is financial help available.

Bereavement Payment and Allowance

If your husband, wife or civil partner has died you may be able to get Bereavement Payment, a one-off lump-sum payment of £2,000 that's tax-free.

After you're widowed you may be able to claim Bereavement Allowance, the taxable weekly benefit paid to you for up to 52 weeks from the date of death of your husband, wife or civil partner.

• Bereavement Payment (money, tax and benefits section)
• Bereavement Allowance (money, tax and benefits section)

Widowed Parent's Allowance

If you're a parent whose husband, wife or civil partner has died and you have a dependent child or young person for whom you receive Child Benefit, you may be able to get Widowed Parent's Allowance (WPA).

• Widowed Parent's Allowance (money, tax and benefits section)

State Pension

If both you and your husband, wife or civil partner were getting the basic state pension when they died, you may be able to use their National Insurance contributions to get extra basic pension.

• Qualifying for basic State Pension (pensions and retirement planning section)

Pneumoconiosis (including asbestosis), byssinosis and miscellaneous diseases benefit

If your husband, wife or civil partner died as a result of pneumoconiosis, byssinosis or certain other diseases which they got from work before 5 July 1948, then you can make a claim for benefit.

Also, if your husband, wife or civil partner was disabled as a result of an industrial accident or disease that occurred before their death and was not getting Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit, you may be able to claim it for a period before their death.

• Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (diseases and deafness) (people with disabilities section)
• Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (accidents) (people with disabilities section)

War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme

A War Widow's or Widower's Pension is a tax-free pension you may be entitled to if your wife, husband or civil partner died as a result of their service in Her Majesty's (HM) Armed Forces or during a time of war.

For those who served after 6 April 2005, the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme offers financial help.

• War Widow's or Widower's Pension (money, tax and benefits section)

Guardian's Allowance

You may be able to claim Guardian's Allowance if you're bringing up a child whose biological or adopted parents have died.

• Guardian's Allowance (money, tax and benefits section)

Child Benefit

Child Benefit is a regular payment made to anyone bringing up a child or young person. It's paid for each child that qualifies and isn't affected by income or savings, so most people bringing up a child can get Child Benefit.

• Child Benefit (money, tax and benefits)

Maternity benefits

If you're pregnant or have a new baby but don't qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP), you may be able to claim Maternity Allowance (MA).

• Maternity Allowance (money, tax and benefits section)

Income Support

If you can't be available for full-time work and don't have enough money to live on, you may be able to get Income Support benefit. Whether you qualify or not and how much you get depends on your circumstances.

• Income Support (money, tax and benefits section)

Jobseeker's Allowance

If you're of working age but unemployed and actively seeking work, you may be able to get Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA).

• Jobseeker's Allowance (money, tax and benefits section)

Employment and Support Allowance

If you have an illness or disability that affects your ability to work, you may be able to get Employment and Support Allowance. It offers you personalised support and financial help, so that you can do appropriate work, if you are able to.

• Employment and Support Allowance (people with disabilities section)

Tax credits

Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit may help you - find out what they are, who can get them and how they're paid.

• Tax credits (money, tax and benefits section)

Pension Credit

If you're a pensioner you may be entitled to Pension Credit - extra money each week. It's made up of two elements - the 'Guarantee Credit' element and the 'Savings Credit' element (which may be payable from age 65).

The age that you can get the Guarantee Credit is gradually going up for men and women from 60 to 65 between April 2010 and April 2020, in line with changes to women's State Pension age.

• Pension Credit (pensions and retirement planning section)

Lone Pensioner Allowance

Rate payers aged 70 or over and living alone may be entitled to a 20 per cent reduction in their rates.

• Lone pensioner allowance (property and housing section)

Rate Relief

People on low incomes, including pensioners, may receive a reduction in their rates through the Rate Relief Scheme which is only available in Northern Ireland.

• ·Rate Relief Scheme - overview (property and housing section)

Housing Benefit

If you're on a low income and need financial help to pay all or part of your rent, you may be able to get Housing Benefit.

• Housing Benefit / Rate Relief (money, tax and benefits section)

Help with health costs

Most National Health Service (NHS) treatment is free but there can be charges for some things. You may be able to get help with NHS health costs if, for example, you're on a low income.

• Help with health costs (people with disabilities section)

More useful links

• What happens to your State Pension when you die? (pensions and retirement planning section)
• What happens to your company pension when you die (pensions and retirement planning section)
• SERPS and the State Second Pension (pensions and retirement planning section)