Bereavement Support Payment Calculator — Discovery Notes
JTBD
“How much Bereavement Support Payment will I get?” / “Am I still within the claiming deadline?” / “Can I claim BSP if we weren’t married?” / “What other financial help is available after a bereavement?”
Target Audience
- Recently bereaved spouses and civil partners under State Pension age
- Cohabiting partners with dependent children (newly eligible since February 2023)
- Family members and friends helping a bereaved person navigate benefits
- Funeral directors and bereavement support workers signposting clients
- Citizens Advice and welfare rights advisers checking entitlement
- Solicitors handling estates who need to advise on benefit claims
Calculator Tabs (3)
Tab 1: BSP Entitlement
- Inputs: Relationship status (married/civil partner/cohabiting/not married), dependent children (yes/pregnant/no), age relative to SPA, deceased NI contributions
- Outputs: Eligibility check, rate (higher or standard), lump sum amount, monthly payment, total over 18 months, key facts (tax-free, not means-tested)
- Key insight: The difference between higher and standard rate is £5,500 over 18 months (£9,800 vs £4,300). Cohabiting partners with children became eligible in February 2023 but many still don’t know.
Tab 2: Claiming Timeline
- Inputs: Date of death
- Outputs: Three critical deadlines (3 months, 12 months, 21 months), remaining entitlement, estimated amounts at both rates
- Key insight: Every month of delay past 3 months costs £350 (higher rate) or £100 (standard rate) in missed payments. Yet GOV.UK data shows many claims come after the 3-month window, losing significant amounts.
Tab 3: Other Support
- Inputs: Qualifying benefit status, deceased State Pension status, death before/after April 2017
- Outputs: Funeral Expenses Payment eligibility, Tell Us Once service info, State Pension inheritance options, old scheme comparison (pre-2017), other benefits checklist
- Key insight: Many bereaved people are unaware of Funeral Expenses Payment (up to £1,000) or that they may inherit part of their partner’s State Pension. The Tell Us Once service saves dozens of phone calls.
Verified Rates 2025/26 (Source: GOV.UK / DWP)
| Payment | Higher Rate | Standard Rate |
|---|
| Initial lump sum | £3,500 | £2,500 |
| Monthly payment | £350/month | £100/month |
| Number of monthly payments | 18 | 18 |
| Total monthly | £6,300 | £1,800 |
| Grand total | £9,800 | £4,300 |
Not CPI-uprated: BSP rates have been unchanged since April 2017. The Pensions Act 2014 does not require annual uprating.
Higher rate qualification: Entitled to Child Benefit at the date of partner’s death, or pregnant at the date of death.
Eligibility Rules
- Relationship: Married, civil partner, or cohabiting with dependent children (since Feb 2023)
- Age: Under State Pension age (currently 66) at the date of death
- NI contributions: Deceased paid at least 25 weeks of Class 1 or Class 2 NI in any one tax year since 6 April 1975
- Alternative NI route: Deceased died as a result of an industrial accident or prescribed disease
- Residence: UK resident at time of death (or relevant EEA/reciprocal agreement country)
- Not in prison: Cannot claim if in prison at time of claim
- Since 9 February 2023, cohabiting partners with dependent children can claim BSP
- Must have been living together at the date of death
- Cohabiting partners WITHOUT children remain INELIGIBLE
- Backdated claims available for eligible deaths back to 30 August 2018
Claiming Deadlines
| Claim made | Lump sum | Monthly payments | Notes |
|---|
| Within 3 months | Full | All 18 | Best outcome |
| 3-12 months | Full | Remaining only (not backdated) | Every month costs a payment |
| 12-21 months | None | Remaining only | Significant loss |
| After 21 months | None | None | Cannot claim (except delayed cause of death) |
Key Legal / Policy Framework
- Pensions Act 2014, Part 4: Legislative basis for BSP (replaced old bereavement benefits)
- The Bereavement Support Payment Regulations 2017 (SI 2017/410): Detailed eligibility and payment rules
- Bereavement Benefits (Remedial) Order 2023 (SI 2023/134): Extended eligibility to cohabiting parents
- Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992: NI contribution conditions
- Funeral Expenses (Deceased’s Estate) Regulations 2003: Funeral Expenses Payment rules
Benefit Interaction Rules
- BSP is fully disregarded as income for Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction, and tax credits
- BSP is not taxable — no need to declare on Self Assessment
- BSP does not affect Child Benefit or Child Tax Credit
- BSP cannot be claimed alongside the old Widowed Parent’s Allowance or Bereavement Allowance
- If partner died before 6 April 2017, the old scheme applies (Bereavement Payment, WPA, BA) — these ARE taxable
Competitor Analysis
- GOV.UK: Comprehensive eligibility info but no calculator, no timeline visualisation, no amount estimator
- entitledto.co.uk: General benefits calculator but does not specialise in BSP
- Marie Curie: Excellent bereavement guide but no interactive calculator
- Cruse Bereavement Support: Emotional support focus, limited financial calculator
- Turn2us: Basic eligibility checker, no timeline or “what you’ll actually get” breakdown
Differentiation for sum.money:
- Only calculator showing timeline-adjusted entitlement (how much you lose by delaying)
- Cohabiting partner eligibility check with clear explanation of 2023 Remedial Order
- Combined BSP + other bereavement support (Funeral Expenses, State Pension inheritance, Tell Us Once) in one tool
- Instant, no login, shareable URL per scenario
SEO Potential
- Keyword: “bereavement support payment calculator” — medium volume, very low competition, strong intent
- Keyword: “bereavement support payment 2025” — seasonal volume around April uprating
- Keyword: “bereavement support payment how much” — transactional, underserved
- Keyword: “bereavement support payment cohabiting” — growing since 2023 change
- Keyword: “bereavement support payment claim deadline” — high intent
- Long-tail: “how long do I have to claim bereavement support payment” — FAQ-driven
- Long-tail: “bereavement support payment not married” — cohabitation eligibility query
- /uk/state-pension-age-calculator — SPA check for BSP eligibility
- /uk/pension-calculator — State Pension inheritance options
- /uk/inheritance-tax-calculator — Estate planning, spouse exemption
- /uk/universal-credit-calculator — UC entitlement as newly single
- /uk/pension-credit-calculator — For bereaved over-SPA (not eligible for BSP)
- /uk/life-insurance-calculator — Forward planning for families
Sources (verified March 2026)