Have children and have lost your unmarried, co-habiting partner? You may now be eligible to claim

MSE_Emily

Bereavement support payments are now available to non-married cohabiting couples following a court ruling. The change means that as of 9 February unmarried cohabiting parents who were eligible for child benefit or were pregnant when their partner died can now apply for help. Below we explain all you need to know...

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Have children and have lost your unmarried, co-habiting partner? You may now be eligible for backdated bereavement support payments worth £1,000s

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Blossom7178

I am confused. My partner passed away in 2003 and I’m sure if I am reading inform correctly. Is it backdated to when he passed away or to August 2018? I have completed the forms but wanted to check before I sent them off. 

calcotti

To when he died.

livelaughlovedancesing

Although great news for many, I have a friend (and there are others) who is fighting the system on the basis that the gov website suggests they should be eligible for this bereavement support, but they are being told by phone representatives that they are not eligible because they had not applied for child benefit at the time. Are Martin and his team aware? 

If you are in this position - don’t give up! Keep challenging. 

@MSE Team - are you able to flag any of this issue in a more public forum for those who are facing this hurdle?! 

Such a massive mental load for anyone to be undertaking , let alone a bereaved person being told the gov guidance website is wrong and constantly changing , by the people on the end of the phone!

calcotti

Possibly worth involving MP.

sheramber

https://www.gov.uk/bereavement-support-payment/eligibility does include getting child benefit or being eligible but not claiming it.

There does seem to be an anomaly if the child benefit was in the partner's name so they were getting it, not the claimant.

That scenario is not included in the legislation.

If you were living together as though you were married with the person who died

You may be able to get Bereavement Support Payment if your partner died on or after 6 April 2017.

You must have been:

• under State Pension age when your partner died
• under State Pension age on 30 August 2018

When your partner died, you must have been either:

• getting or entitled to Child Benefit
• pregnant

You must meet the eligibility rules for Child Benefit but you do not need to have made a claim for it.

rubyhettybetty

calcotti said:

To when he died.

Its backdated to the date of the successful appeal, 30th August 2018...

calcotti

rubyhettybetty said:

calcotti said:

To when he died.

Its backdated to the date of the successful appeal, 30th August 2018...

Yes, you’re right in your case. Apologies for getting that wrong in my earlier post.
It should say, from the date of death or 30th August 2018 whichever is later,

ArnoldLayneMBE

livelaughlovedancesing said:

Although great news for many, I have a friend (and there are others) who is fighting the system on the basis that the gov website suggests they should be eligible for this bereavement support, but they are being told by phone representatives that they are not eligible because they had not applied for child benefit at the time. Are Martin and his team aware? 

If you are in this position - don’t give up! Keep challenging. 

@MSE Team - are you able to flag any of this issue in a more public forum for those who are facing this hurdle?! 

Such a massive mental load for anyone to be undertaking , let alone a bereaved person being told the gov guidance website is wrong and constantly changing , by the people on the end of the phone!

Yes, going through that myself with DWP dullards on the phone - I was clearly "entitled" to have claimed Child Benefit at the time of my partners death and would have received it in my name had I claimed it at that time. As the Govt advice states I "do not need to have made a claim for it".

I was also told the govt guidance website was wrong, but can tell your friend that the online guidance hasn't changed from day one regarding cohabitee claims and to me it looks totally clear. 

@MSE team - any chance of looking into this ?

@sheramber - can't see an anomaly given it relates to entitlement not whether CB was actually being received in the surviving partners name ?   

sheramber

But if one partner was claiming the benefit they are the person entitled to and  other partner would not be entitled to claim it.

Only one person can  be entitled to it.

ArnoldLayneMBE

And at the time of a death there is only one surviving partner who would be entitled to it - even prior to the death the entitlement to swap payment into the other name always existed...."you do not need to have made a claim for it"