Bereavement Support Payment Calculator 2026/27

Estimate the tax-free lump sum and monthly payments you may receive after the death of a husband, wife or civil partner — and see how the claim deadline affects the total.

1. Your Situation
?Bereavement Support Payment is for spouses and civil partners. Cohabiting partners can only qualify through the higher-rate route — if they had dependent children together or were pregnant — for deaths on or after 30 August 2018.
?Bereavement Support Payment only applies to deaths on or after 6 April 2017. For earlier deaths, you may instead qualify for Widowed Parent's Allowance.
?This decides your rate. 'Yes' qualifies you for the higher rate (£3,500 + £350/month). 'No' means the standard rate (£2,500 + £100/month) for spouses and civil partners.
2. Claim Timing
?Claim within 3 months for the full 18 monthly payments. After that you lose roughly one monthly payment for each further month's delay, up to 21 months. The lump sum is generally available if you claim within 12 months.
3. Benefits Check

How Bereavement Support Payment Works in 2026/27

£9,800
Maximum higher-rate total (lump sum + 18 payments)
£4,300
Maximum standard-rate total
3 months
Claim within this window for the full amount

Bereavement Support Payment (BSP) is a tax-free benefit from the DWP for people whose husband, wife or civil partner died on or after 6 April 2017. It replaced three older benefits — Bereavement Payment, Bereavement Allowance and Widowed Parent's Allowance — and is paid as an initial lump sum followed by up to 18 monthly instalments. Crucially, it is not means-tested on your income and does not depend on your age, only on the deceased's National Insurance record and your circumstances.

The two rates for 2026/27

RateWho gets itLump sumMonthlyMax total
HigherHave dependent children / get Child Benefit / pregnant at death£3,500£350£9,800
StandardSpouse or civil partner with no dependent children£2,500£100£4,300

Both rates have been frozen since the benefit launched in April 2017 and, following the 2025 uprating review, the government confirmed they remain unchanged for 2026/27 — the lump sums and monthly amounts are not uprated with inflation, so their real value has fallen over time.

The deceased's NI record matters, not yours. Your late spouse or civil partner must generally have paid National Insurance for at least 25 weeks in any one tax year since 6 April 1975, or have died from an accident or disease caused by their work. Your own income, savings and employment status do not affect eligibility.

Source: DWP Benefit and Pension Rates 2026/27; GOV.UK Bereavement Support Payment guidance. Rates frozen since 2017. Last verified May 2026.

The Deadline That Costs People Hundreds of Pounds

This is the most financially important thing to understand about BSP, and it's where delay quietly erodes the total. Monthly payments run for 18 months from the date of death, but your claim can only be backdated three months. Miss the three-month window and you lose roughly one monthly payment for every further month you wait.

When you claimMonthly payments receivedHigher-rate loss vs full
Within 3 monthsAll 18£0
At 6 months15−£1,050
At 9 months12−£2,100
At 12 months9−£3,150
At 18 months3−£5,250
At 21 months or later0−£6,300

The lump sum is more forgiving — it's generally still payable if you claim within 12 months of the death — but the monthly taper above bites from month three onward. In grief, paperwork is the last thing on anyone's mind, which is exactly why so much BSP goes unclaimed or part-claimed.

If a spouse or civil partner has died recently, claim now — even if other affairs are unsettled. The three-month monthly-payment window and twelve-month lump-sum window run from the date of death, not from probate or anything else. Claiming early costs nothing and protects the full amount.

How BSP Affects Your Other Benefits

One of the genuine strengths of Bereavement Support Payment is how lightly it touches the rest of the benefits system — but there are two specific points worth understanding, especially if you claim Universal Credit or Housing Benefit.

It's tax-free and ignored by most benefits
BSP is completely tax-free and is disregarded as income for most means-tested benefits — so receiving it does not normally reduce your Pension Credit, tax credits or Council Tax Reduction.
But it can affect Universal Credit or Housing Benefit in the month received
The lump sum (and each monthly payment) counts as income for Universal Credit and Housing Benefit in the assessment period it lands in, which can reduce those benefits for that month. Spreading or timing isn't usually possible, so be aware of a one-off dip.
Watch the savings threshold afterwards
Once received, BSP money becomes savings. For Universal Credit, capital over £6,000 starts to reduce your award and over £16,000 ends it. A large lump sum sitting in your account could affect means-tested benefits over time, even though the payment itself was disregarded as income.
Claim BSP regardless — then review your wider benefits. BSP rarely reduces your overall position, and being widowed often opens entitlement to other support. Use the Pension Credit Calculator if you're over State Pension age, or the Universal Credit Calculator if you're working age, to reassess your full position after a bereavement.

Three Bereavement Support Payment Scenarios

Scenario 1 — higher rate, claimed promptly

Widow with two children, claims 1 month after her husband's death
Lump sum (higher rate)£3,500
Monthly payments — 18 × £350£6,300
Total received£9,800
Full entitlement — the reward for claiming inside the three-month window.

Scenario 2 — standard rate, claimed late

Widower, no dependent children, claims 8 months after death
Lump sum (standard, within 12 months)£2,500
Monthly payments — only 13 of 18 (21 − 8)£1,300
Lost by claiming late−£500
Total received£3,800
Five monthly payments lost to delay — a direct cost of not claiming sooner.

Scenario 3 — cohabiting partner, no children

Surviving cohabiting partner, no dependent children, not pregnant
Higher-rate route (needs children/pregnancy)Not met
Standard rate not available to cohabiteesNot eligible
Bereavement Support Payment£0
Cohabiting partners only qualify via the higher-rate (children) route — without children there's no entitlement.

Common Mistakes and What Else You Might Claim

  • Assuming you've missed out, so not claiming. Even at 18 months you can still get three monthly payments plus, if within 12 months, the lump sum. Claim unless you're past 21 months.
  • Not claiming because you're working or have savings. BSP doesn't depend on your income or savings — only the deceased's NI record and your circumstances.
  • Cohabiting partners assuming they never qualify. For deaths on or after 30 August 2018, cohabiting partners with dependent children (or who were pregnant) can claim the higher rate.
  • Forgetting the State Pension link. BSP is for working-age survivors. If you're over State Pension age, you can't usually claim BSP but may be able to inherit State Pension instead — see the Inherited State Pension Calculator.
  • Overlooking wider entitlements. Bereavement can open or change entitlement to Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction, or Pension Credit. Reassess your whole position.
Death before 6 April 2017? Bereavement Support Payment won't apply, but you may qualify for the older Widowed Parent's Allowance if you have a dependent child and meet the conditions. Contact the Bereavement Service helpline to check.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is Bereavement Support Payment in 2026/27?

The higher rate is a £3,500 lump sum plus up to 18 monthly payments of £350 — a maximum of £9,800. The standard rate is a £2,500 lump sum plus up to 18 monthly payments of £100 — a maximum of £4,300. Both rates are unchanged for 2026/27, having been frozen since the benefit launched in 2017.

Who qualifies for the higher rate?

You get the higher rate if, when your partner died, you were entitled to Child Benefit, or you were pregnant. It's also the only route available to cohabiting partners (for deaths on or after 30 August 2018). Spouses and civil partners without dependent children receive the standard rate instead.

How long do I have to claim?

Claim within three months of the death to receive all 18 monthly payments. After that you lose roughly one monthly payment for each further month, up to 21 months, when monthly entitlement runs out. The lump sum is generally available if you claim within 12 months. Because of this taper, claiming as soon as possible protects the full amount.

Is Bereavement Support Payment taxable or means-tested?

No — BSP is completely tax-free and is not means-tested on your income. Your earnings, savings and employment status don't affect it. Eligibility depends on the deceased's National Insurance record and your relationship and circumstances, not your finances.

Will BSP affect my Universal Credit or other benefits?

It's ignored as income by most means-tested benefits, including Pension Credit and Council Tax Reduction. However, it counts as income for Universal Credit and Housing Benefit in the month each payment is received, which can reduce those benefits for that month. And once received, the money counts as savings, which could affect means-tested benefits if your capital rises above the relevant thresholds.

Can cohabiting (unmarried) partners claim?

Only through the higher-rate route. For deaths on or after 30 August 2018, a surviving cohabiting partner who had dependent children with the deceased, or who was pregnant, can claim the higher rate. Cohabiting partners without children cannot claim the standard rate — that's reserved for spouses and civil partners.

Disclaimer: This tool provides an estimate for informational purposes only. Eligibility and exact amounts depend on the deceased's National Insurance record and your circumstances. To claim or check eligibility, contact the DWP Bereavement Service on 0800 151 2012, or see GOV.UK Bereavement Support Payment. Free support is available from Marie Curie and Citizens Advice.