Bereavement Benefits

Funeral Support Payment

Funeral Support Payment helps pay for funeral costs if you live in Scotland.

You can apply online or by calling 0800 182 2222.

You could be eligible if you live in Scotland, are on certain benefits and are responsible for the funeral.

Bereavement Support Payment

You may be able to get Bereavement Support Payment if your partner has died. It has replaced the following benefits:

• Widowed Parent’s Allowance - if you already get this, your payments will continue until you’re no longer eligible
• Bereavement Allowance (previously Widow’s Pension)
• Bereavement Payment

You could be eligible if your partner was:

• paid a certain amount of Class 1 or Class 2 National Insurance contributions in any one tax year since 6 April 1975,
• died because of an accident at work or a disease caused by work, or
• under State Pension age.

War Widow(er) Pension

You may be entitled to War Widow’s or Widower’s Pension if your wife, husband or civil partner died as a result of their service in Her Majesty’s (HM) Armed Forces or during a time of war.

They must have served before 6 April 2005, but you may be eligible if they died of an illness or injury later.

One of the following must apply. Your husband, wife or civil partner:

• died as result of their service in HM Armed Forces before 6 April 2005
• was a civil defence volunteer or a civilian and their death was a result of the 1939 to 1945 war
• was a merchant seaman, a member of the naval auxiliary services, or a coastguard and their death was a result of an injury or disease they got during a war or because they were a prisoner of war
• died as a result of their service as a member of the Polish Forces under British command during the 1939 to 1945 war, or in the Polish Resettlement Forces
• was getting a War Pensions Constant Attendance Allowance at the time of their death, or would have been had they not been in hospital
• was getting a War Disablement Pension at the 80% rate or higher and was getting Unemployability Supplement

If your partner was injured, developed an illness or died as a result of service on or after 6 April 2005, you can claim through the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.

Armed Forces Compensation Payment (AFCS)

The AFCS provides compensation for any injury, illness or death which is caused by service on or after 6 April 2005.

 You can claim under the AFCS where your illness or injury was caused as a result of service on or after 6 April 2005. You do not need to have left the Armed Forces before claiming.