CAMPAIGN WIN! Bereavement benefits extended to cohabiting parents
We are delighted that from Thursday 9 February, cohabiting parents and carers can claim the same bereavement benefits to help bring up their grieving children as if they had been married or in a civil partnership.
This is the culmination of a long campaign for justice for bereaved children, who deserve support whatever their parents’ marital status.
What does this mean?
The changes to the eligibility criteria mean that cohabiting parents and carers whose partner dies from 9 February 2023 will be able to make a claim for Bereavement Support Payment if they meet the other eligibility criteria. We expect around 1,800 more families to be able to make a claim each year.
Around 21,000 families will also be able to make retrospective claims. Because the eligibility criteria were found to be unlawful on 30 August 2018, the Government will also make retrospective payments back to that point to those who had missed out because they were not married or in a civil partnership. Some of these families will have been bereaved as long ago as 2001.
What you should know about making a retrospective claim
You will have 12 months (until 9 February 2024) to put in a retrospective claim and get the full amount you are entitled to. Make sure you have the advice and information you need about how a retrospective payment might affect previous and future tax, tax credits and benefits before you put in a claim.
We have produced materials to help you understand the changes
Read our frequently asked questions
If you are in any doubt about the implications a retrospective payment will have on your wider finances, seek independent advice before you put in a claim. CBN is not able to give individual advice. You can find an adviser here.