Bereaved parents reminded to check eligibility for financial support

Date published: 7 August 2023

Eligibility for Bereavement Support Payment and Widowed Parent’s Allowance was extended to cohabiting parents with dependent children on 9 February 2023.

Previously only available to eligible bereaved partners who were married or in a civil partnership with the deceased person at the time of their death, February’s extension of eligibility opened a 12-month window for cohabiting parents to backdate their claims.

This means parents whose partner died before 9 February 2023 have until 8 February 2024 to claim. After this, it will not be possible to claim Widowed Parents Allowance and parents will not get their full entitlement to a backdated payment of Bereavement Support Payment.

The benefit a parent may be eligible to claim will depend on the date their partner died.

If their partner died before 6 April 2017, they would need to make a claim for Widowed Parents Allowance. Claims for Widowed Parents Allowance can be made over the telephone by ringing 0800 085 2463 option 3 or through a paper application form, which can be downloaded from NI Direct.

More details on eligibility and how to make a claim for Widowed Parents Allowance can be found at: NI Direct

If their partner died on or after 6 April 2017, they would need to make a claim for Bereavement Support Payment, which has replaced Widowed Parents Allowance. Claims for Bereavement Support Payment can be made over the phone by calling 0800 085 2463 option 1 or through a paper application form, which can be downloaded from NI Direct.

More details on eligibility and how to make a claim for Bereavement Support Payment can be found at NI Direct

Further bereavement help and support can also be found at NI Direct