Bereavement allowance and other benefits?

elsien

Hi, just wondering if anyone knows whether claiming bereavement allowance will affect ESA or DLA/PIP at all?
Thanks

pmlindyloo

DLA/PIP would not be affected as they are not means tested.

Bereavement Allowance is counted as income for income based ESA and is deducted £ for £.

Bereavement Allowance and contribution based ESA are overlapping benefits and the higher of the two would be paid.

http://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/Overlapping-benefits

GREYBEARD_2

How are people supposed to find out about Bereavement Payment & Bereavement Allowance?


My wife died in 2004, aged 46. (I was then 52.) She had been diagnosed with breast cancer six years earlier and, as the disease progressed, spent increasing amounts of time in hospital. When at home we were supported by Macmillan and our local hospice day-care team as well as our local GP practice. We had both worked - and paid NI - all our adult lives and I carried on working till made redundant in my late fifties.


When my wife died, I did all the things the surviving spouse does; registered her death, organised the funeral, closed her bank account and generally sorted-out her affairs. And at no time did anyone - DWP, registrar, vicar, bank manager, consultant, nurse, GP.... tell me that I might be eligible for a Bereavement Payment or Bereavement Allowance. That kind of help would have been an absolute Godsend in my darkest hour - but I had no idea it even existed. How many others are eligible but missing out?

nannytone_2

im not saying it is right, but the onus is always on the claimant to claim their entitlement.
no one will chase you down and offer money.
GP's, nurses, funeral directors etc, are not specialists in benefits, so there is no reason they should tell you to claim

Mojisola

GREYBEARD wrote: »

How are people supposed to find out about Bereavement Payment & Bereavement Allowance?

When at home we were supported by Macmillan and our local hospice day-care team as well as our local GP practice.

And at no time did anyone - DWP, registrar, vicar, bank manager, consultant, nurse, GP.... tell me that I might be eligible for a Bereavement Payment or Bereavement Allowance.

nannytone wrote: »

im not saying it is right, but the onus is always on the claimant to claim their entitlement.
no one will chase you down and offer money.

GP's, nurses, funeral directors etc, are not specialists in benefits, so there is no reason they should tell you to claim

But Macmillan nurses are usually very clued up on benefits. It's a great shame they didn't tell you.

missbiggles1

Perhaps your wife hadn't paid enough enough NICs for you to be eligible.

Thomas_The_Tank_Top

GREYBEARD wrote: »

We had both worked - and paid NI - all our adult lives and I carried on working till made redundant in my late fifties.

Thats the problem Greybeard. Sadly the system is geared more towards the people who take all, and contribute nothing. Read a few threads in this forum to see what I mean.

I am sure, that when you meet your wife in the afterlife, she will tell you what a great job you did. Chin up sir.