Bereavement payments - long post

Newly_retired

A while ago I promised to post details of what is available. Sorry for the delay, but I hope this is useful.
Non contributory benefits
Bereavement Benefits (these cover widows and widowers and people whose civil partner has died).
• Bereavement Payment - a one-off lump sum payment made after a spouse or civil partner dies.
• Widowed Parent’s Allowance - a weekly benefit for
widows/widowers/bereaved civil partners with dependent children.
• Bereavement Allowance - a weekly benefit for widows, widowers or bereaved civil partners who were 45 or over, but under state pension age when their spouse or civil partner died. It lasts for 52 weeks. Some women will still be getting the old widow’s pension or widowed mother’s allowance. The rules are different for these,

Payments from the Social Fund
Funeral Payments
Can be paid to people responsible for paying for a funeral to cover essential costs, such as death certificate, undertaker’s fees, etc. A client may have to show that there is no-one else not on benefits, who could be responsible for the funeral. Funeral payments do not have to be repaid but may be recovered from money in the deceased's estate.
To be eligible for a payment for funeral expenses, the client or their partner has to be receiving, on the date they claim the funeral payment, at least one of the following qualifying benefits:
· income support or income-based JSA
· child tax credit at a higher rate than the family element (or, if there is a baby under one, family element plus higher family element)
· housing benefit
· council tax benefit or would meet the conditions for second adult rebate
· working tax credit which includes the disability or severe disability element
· pension credit
A client will also be eligible if they don’t get one of these benefits at the date of the funeral payment claim, but a qualifying benefit award is later backdated to cover that date.
Who can claim?
The DWP must consider that it is reasonable for the client to take responsibility rather than anyone else, e.g. another relative.
Normally, if the deceased is the partner or dependent child of the client, this will be accepted.

If the deceased was not the client’s partner or dependent child, the immediate family member test is applied. If there is an immediate family member who is not on a qualifying benefit or tax credit, the client will not usually be able to claim a funeral payment. An immediate family member is a parent, son or daughter.

If the client is a close relative or close friend of the deceased, the client may not be able to get a payment if there is someone else the DWP thinks should be responsible for the funeral., for example, a close relative who the DWP thinks was in closer contact with the deceased, or a close relative who was equally close but is not on one of the qualifying benefits or tax credits. A close relative is a parent, son, daughter, brother or sister, including in-laws and step-parents or children.
The client does not have to find out whether there are other close relatives who could take responsibility. It is up to the DWP to check. If the client is not sure, they should claim the funeral payment anyway
What can be claimed?
The payment should meet the cost of:
· a burial plot or cremation and an associated fees
· transport for the body and bearers, and one other vehicle between the funeral director and the burial or cremation place
· travel costs within the UK for the client to attend
· other expenses up to a maximum of £700 (e.g. coffin, minister’s fee)
The DWP will expect the client to provide evidence of the costs, e.g. bills or estimates.
When and how to claim
The claim for funeral expenses can be made after the death and up to three months after the funeral.
To make a claim the client should complete a form called SF200 from Jobcentre Plus.