What Bereavement Support Payment is
Bereavement Support Payment (BSP) replaced Bereavement Allowance, Widowed Parent's Allowance and Bereavement Payment for deaths on or after 6 April 2017. It applies where a spouse, civil partner or cohabiting partner dies and they had paid enough National Insurance contributions.
In 2026/27 there are two rates. The higher rate, for those who are pregnant or have dependent children, pays a lump sum of £3,500 followed by 18 monthly payments of £350. The lower rate pays a £2,500 lump sum followed by 18 monthly payments of £100. The lump sum and first monthly payment are paid together, so the first payment is large.
National Insurance contribution conditions
To qualify, the deceased must have paid Class 1 or Class 2 National Insurance contributions in any one tax year since 6 April 1975 (Class 3 voluntary contributions do not count), unless the death was caused by an accident at work or an industrial disease. There is no minimum length of marriage or civil partnership. You must have been married to them, in a civil partnership with them, or living with them as if married when they died; cohabiting partners also need to have been getting Child Benefit for a child living with them, or been pregnant.
Claims must be made within 21 months of the partner's death. Claims made after 3 months lose the lump sum and some early monthly payments. Claiming promptly matters.
How BSP interacts with Universal Credit
Bereavement Support Payment is not counted as income for Universal Credit. It is not on the list of unearned income in the Universal Credit Regulations, so neither the lump sum nor the monthly payments reduce your UC award.
What changes after 12 months is the savings test: BSP will not affect your benefits for a year after your first payment, but after that any of the money you still have counts as capital, so it can push you towards the £6,000 tariff income threshold or the £16,000 limit.