What financial help is available – particularly if you have financial difficulties? When somebody close to you dies it has a profound impact and can make you feel that nothing else matters very much in your life. There are organisations to help you deal with these feelings when you are ready. At a time of emotional crisis it’s also very hard to focus on practicalities, but even the bestplanned finances can be knocked sideways by a death, so it’s important to have an understanding of what help you can get.

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There is a lot of support available from different organisations and charities. Here we give you an idea of the type of financial help available and the organisations you can contact for clear, impartial help.

Quick guide After the death of your husband, wife, or civil partner you may be able to claim: Bereavement Payment/ Bereavement Allowance If there are children you may be able to claim: Widowed Parent’s Allowance If your partner dies and you are on a low income you may be able to claim: Universal Credit If you have children, you may also be able to claim: Universal Credit After the death of your Husband/Wife in the Armed Forces You should contact: Service Personnel & Veterans Agency

What you need to know about all bereavement benefits You can claim a bereavement benefit if you were legally married to your husband or wife who has now died. You can also claim a bereavement benefit if you and your same-sex partner who has died registered a civil partnership. You can’t get any bereavement benefits if you: • are in prison • were divorced from your husband or wife when they died, or you and your civil partner had dissolved your civil partnership • remarry, or register another civil partnership • live with another partner. If you are getting a bereavement benefit when you remarry, register another civil partnership, or start living with another partner it will stop. 2

Helpful tip Emotional shock might make it difficult for you to take in information as usual, so consider asking a friend or relative to help.

When you claim for any of these benefits, you will need: • details of your National Insurance number • your late partner’s National Insurance number • certified copies of your marriage/civil partnership certificate and the death certificate

What could you be entitled to? Read about the different benefits below and tick the ones you think apply to you. Then use the contact numbers at the end of this section to ask for everything you want to claim. Help with funeral costs One-off Social Fund payment You may be able to get a grant towards funeral costs from the Social Fund. There are strict rules about who can claim and how much – and you must claim within 3 months of the funeral. You also need to show why you should be the person who pays for the funeral. The DWP can refuse a payment if it considers that there is another close relative who could have paid for the funeral.

Helpful tip It’s worth finding out whether you may be able to claim a payment before you arrange a funeral, but you won’t get a definite decision until after the funeral.

What does a funeral payment cover? It is a fairly basic provision to provide a simple, respectful funeral, and doesn’t necessarily cover all funeral director costs. So you need to budget carefully. It will pay for: • Buying a new burial plot and burial fees, or cremation costs • Reasonable costs for a return journey (within the UK) for the person who is responsible to arrange or attend the funeral • A contribution towards transport costs if the body has to be moved more than 50 miles • Up to £700 towards items like the coffin, religious costs, flowers and other transport costs Important • You may not be able to claim a payment if the person who died had a funeral plan • If the person who has died leaves an estate (assets), any Social Fund payment will have to be repaid from this. A house or personal items left to a widow, widower or civil partner are not counted as part of the estate. • If you have to borrow money to pay for the funeral, make this very clear when you apply – as this should not be taken into account. 3

Helpful tip If you are using a funeral director, it’s a good idea to speak to them upfront if you are applying for support. It will make it easier to explain how important it is to keep costs low.

Bereavement Payment A one-off tax-free lump sum of £2,000 This is designed to help with your immediate financial needs when your husband, wife or civil partner dies. You must claim within twelve months of the death, unless there are exceptional circumstances. You are entitled to a Bereavement Payment if: • you were widowed on or after 9 April 2001 • you are below State Retirement age when your husband, wife or civil partner died • your husband, wife, or civil partner who has died paid enough national insurance contributions If they died as the result of an industrial accident or an industrial disease, it does not matter whether they paid enough contributions or not. Widowed Parent’s Allowance A weekly payment paid until your youngest child reaches 16 (or 19 if in full-time education) Widowed Parent’s Allowance (WPA) is designed to help with ongoing living costs when your husband, wife or civil partner dies and you have dependent children. It is part of your taxable income so will be taken into account when you claim other benefits and you have to declare it if you fill in a tax return. You are entitled to WPA if: • you are bringing up a child or you are expecting your late husband’s baby • you are a woman who was living with your civil partner when she died and you are pregnant as a result of fertility treatment • the child you are bringing up is: – the child of you and your late spouse – the child of you and your late civil partner – a child you receive child benefit for – an adopted child or a step-child The amount of the basic Widowed Parent’s Allowance will depend on your late husband, wife or civil partner’s national insurance contributions, unless they died because of an industrial injury or disease. >> Check the current rates of Widowed Parent’s Allowance at www.direct.gov.uk.

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Bereavement Allowance A weekly payment paid for 52 weeks Bereavement Allowance is a weekly benefit paid to someone for 52 weeks from the death of their husband, wife or civil partner. Like WPA, it is part of your taxable income. You are entitled to Bereavement Allowance if: • your spouse or civil partner died on or after 9 April 2001 • you were 45 or over when your spouse or civil partner died, but under state pension age • Your husband, wife or civil partner paid enough national insurance contributions If they died as the result of an industrial accident or an industrial disease, it does not matter whether they paid enough contributions or not. You can’t get Bereavement Allowance, if you receive WPA, but you can claim if your WPA ends because you stop getting Child Benefit within 52 weeks of your spouse or civil partner’s death.

What other benefits might I be entitled to? If you are on a low income other short and long-term help is available in all sorts of areas. It could help to meet your living costs, rent, Council Tax or provide free prescriptions or school meals. For emergencies there are one-off payments from Welfare Assistance Schemes. • Council Tax discount If  you are now the sole adult living in your property, remember that you can get 25% off your Council Tax straightaway. • Council Tax reduction Your  local authority now has the discretion to decide on how much you have to pay. For example, if you struggle to cope financially until you receive a pension from your husband, wife or civil partner’s former employers, you may be able to apply for a few months’ reduction. >>  To apply for either of these, you need to contact your local authority direct. Find the contact details on www.gov.uk or look at your Council Tax bill. • Universal Credit – replaces Housing Benefit from April 2013 If  you are on a low income and struggle with living costs after your husband, wife or civil partner dies, you can claim Universal Credit. There are two stages to making a claim: – Make an online claim at www.gov.uk/universalcredit If you don’t have internet access at home, ask a friend or relative to help or use a computer at Jobcentre Plus or your local library. – Arrange a face-to-face interview at your local Jobcentre Plus

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• Help towards NHS costs You can claim support if you have difficulty paying for NHS costs after someone dies.  You do not have to wait until you need treatment before you apply for a certificate. • To apply for either a full help certificate (HC2) or a limited help certificate (HC3): – Complete  form HC1, which is available from local benefit offices, NHS hospitals, dentists, opticians and pharmacists, or online at www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk. – S end your completed form HC1 to: NHS Business Services Authority, Sandyford House, Archibald Terrace, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE2 1DB If you have any questions, call 0845 850 1166 or email [email protected] • Inheriting State Pension You may be entitled to a higher State Pension based on the amount of National Insurance Contributions your husband, wife or civil partner made. The rules for claiming depend on your particular circumstances: – If  you’re a widow who is over State Pension age and not receiving a full basic pension when your husband dies you may be able to use his NI contributions to increase your basic State Pension. – If  you’re a widow under State Pension age when your husband dies you may be entitled to a State Pension based on his NI contributions once you reach State Pension age. – If  you’re a widower or surviving civil partner who reached State Pension age after 5 April 2010, the rules about inheriting State Pension are the same as for widows. If you reached State Pension before that you will need more help – try your local CAB office.

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Other things to think about Loans It’s important to look at any outstanding loans that you and your husband wife or civil partner held. First check whether the debt is covered by an insurance policy, which will pay it off if the person who has taken out the credit dies. If it is not, this basic information can help you decide whether you need to pay back the debt yourself.

Did you know? When you register a death or contact the DWP Bereavement Service it will trigger a review of your State Pension entitlement.

 your husband, wife or civil partner dies, you will not • If be automatically responsible for paying back any money they borrowed. • You  will be responsible if you both signed a credit agreement, or you acted as their guarantor. • Lenders can try to recover any money owed from the estate of the person who has died. If there’s not enough money in the estate to pay the debt, the lender can only recover the money from you if you both signed a credit agreement, or if you acted as their guarantor. If you’ve repaid money borrowed under a credit agreement out of your own money, but later find out that you are not responsible for the debt, you should write to the lender asking for the money back. If they don’t agree to refund the money, you can make a complaint. Junk mail The Bereavement Register can help stop junk mail being sent to someone who has died. Write to: The Bereavement Register Freepost SEA8240, Sevenoaks, TN13 1YR Call: 0870 600 7222 Fax: 0870 400 5644 www.the-bereavement-register.org.uk When a Housing Association tenant dies There are rules which may allow the tenancy to be passed on to the tenant’s partner or, sometimes, another member of the family who has been living with the tenant. The rules vary for different kinds of tenancy and apply regardless of anything stated in a tenancy agreement.

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Where and how do I claim benefits? Funeral Payments (Form SF200) Jobcentre Plus office or download from Gov.uk website DWP Bereavement Service 0845 606 0265 0845 606 0275 (Welsh) Bereavement Payment / Widowed Parent’s Allowance / Bereavement Allowance (Form BB1) Visit Jobcentre Plus office or call 0800 053 66 88 0800 012 18 88 (Welsh) DWP Bereavement Service 0845 606 0265 0845 606 0285 (Textphone) 0845 606 0275 (Welsh) 0845 606 0295 (Textphone – Welsh) In Northern Ireland (Form BB1) The form is available from the local Social Security or Jobs and Benefits office or from the NIDirect website at www.nidirect.gov.uk Pension Service Freephone 0808 100 2658 Textphone 0808 100 2198 Organisations that can help with financial/benefits advice Age UK Information and advice for people in later life through their advice line, publications and online. Age UK Advice : 0800 169 65 65 Lines open 7 days a week from 8am to 7pm www.ageuk.org.uk In Wales, contact: Age Cymru 0800 169 65 65 www.agecymru.org.uk

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In Northern Ireland, contact: Age NI 0808 808 75 75 www.ageni.org In Scotland, contact: Age Scotland 0845 125 97 32 www.agescotland.org.uk Charity Search Helps older people search for various charities which are able to offer them financial help. The service is free. Freepost (BS 6610) Avonmouth Bristol BS11 9TW Tel: 0117 982 4060 Email: [email protected] www.charitysearch.org.uk Citizens Advice National network of advice centres offering free, confidential, independent advice either face to face or by telephone. For details of your nearest Citizens Advice Bureau call 020 7833 2181 Advice Line 0844 375 2775 Wales 0844 477 2020 www.adviceguide.org.uk for online information Department for Work and Pensions Bereavement Service Carries out eligibility checks on surviving relatives to see what benefits they are entitled to. Also takes claims for Bereavement Benefits and Funeral Payments. Tel: 0845 606 0265 (Welsh): 0845 606 0275 Textphone: 0845 606 0285 (Welsh): 0845 606 0295

Gov.uk Government website that contains information about bereavement benefits and also about the Tell Us Once scheme. www.gov.uk For details of the Tell Us Once service, type ‘Telling government someone has died’ into the search box. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) For all information about taxes, including inheritance tax and for details about NI contributions. Inheritance Tax Helpline: 0845 30 20 900 National Insurance Contributions Office: 0845 302 1479 www.hmrc.gov.uk Pension Service For details of State Pensions, including pension statements and how to claim your pension. Tel: 0845 60 60 265 Northern Ireland: 0845 601 8821 State Pension claim line: 0800 731 7898 www.gov.uk/state-pension Service Personnel and Veterans Agency (SPVA) Aimed at improving personnel pensions and offering welfare and support services to members of the Armed Forces, their families and veterans. Norcross Thornton Clevelys Lancashire FY5 3WP Tel: 0800 169 22 77 www.veterans-uk.info

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Turn2us Helps people access the money available to them through welfare benefits, grants and other help. Tel: 0808 802 2000 www.turn2us.org.uk War Widows’ Association of Great Britain Gives advice, help and support to all war widows and their dependants. 199 Borough High Street London SE1 1AA Tel: 0845 2412 189 Email: [email protected] www.warwidowsassociation.org.uk Quaker Social Action 17 Old Ford Road Bethnal Green London E2 9PJ Tel: 0208 9835 030 www.quakersocialaction.com Bereavement Advice Centre Heromn House, Timothys Bridge Road Stratford Upon Avon CV37 9BX Tel: 0800 6349 494 www.bereavementadvice.org

Further information www.adviceguide.org.uk (general advice and information provided by the CAB) www.ageuk.org.uk (general advice and information provided by AGE UK) www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk (financial and money advice) www.dyingmatters.org (raising awareness of matters concerning death, dying and bereavement) www.funeralcelebrants.org.uk (finding someone to conduct a funeral) www.iccm-uk.com (information about burial, cemeteries and crematoria) www.turn2us.org.uk (information about grants and benefits) www.gov.uk (UK Government information) We have done our best to make sure that the contents of these booklets are up-to-date as at December 2013 Other titles available in this series: Talking about Dying What to do when someone dies What do funerals cost? The funeral ceremony

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