Help with bereavement costs

Boohoo

Hello

My mum passed away on 2/05/2008 after a short illness of lung and brain cancer.
We were told between 3 and 6 months but she only lasted 3 weeks.
My dad has arranged the funeral and has told various people like pensions,life/home insurance and tv licensing people which some have been very understanding and a couple who have been very rude and want to know all your details.
What i want to know is is my dad entitled to any help with funeral costs or any benefit he can claim now that he is a widower.A mate has told me that his mum got a lump sum from the benefit people when her husband died.
My dad is 67 and my mum would of been 70 on this Wednesday coming(14/05/2008).He owns his own house and is on a state pension a nd 2 other pensions.He was in the process of claiming attendace allowance but we were still waiting for a reply.
Thank you in advance.
Vince

shellsuit

Hi Vince, Sorry to hear about your Mum

Would the life insurance cover the funeral costs?

ClaireLR

Hi Vince

Sorry to hear about your mom

When my mom passed away my dad did indeed get a lump sum of around £2000 and also a 12 month benefit of about £50 a week. I'm not sure what either were called but Im sure the local benefit office would be able to help you.

HTH
Claire

lil_me

http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/JCP/Customers/WorkingAgeBenefits/dev_008411.xml.html

That is the DWP info on bereavement payments

Sorry to hear about you loosing your Mum

Boohoo

Thank you for the replies.

My dad got the forms on 16/5/08 and has started to fill them in.
When he was reading the leaflet that came with it it says that the £2000 is a loan and has to be paid back out of his wifes(my mum) estate when things have been settled.
It also says nothing about getting any money paid to him every week as a bereavement allownce as i have seen other people on this forum have suggested you can get.
My dad is 67 and my mum was 69 when she died and they were both not getting any state benefits at all.
We did apply for attendance allowance before she died which was granted to her and the letter arrived on the morning of the funeral which was not a nice start to the day.
My dad is in 2 minds wether to fill out the forms and claim for it or just forget about but i am worried that he may lose out all together.
Any thoughts please.
Vince.

jem16

As your dad is over state pension age he is not entitled to Bereavement Allowance unfortunately.

He may not be entitled to the Bereavement Payment of £2000 either as he is over state pension age. However if your mum was not entitled to a state pension in her own right he may qualify.

Have a read through this for info;
http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/JCP/stellent/groups/jcp/documents/websitecontent/dev_011995.pdf

It will tell your dad what he is entitled to.