At last, bereaved families gain financial support

THOUSANDS of bereaved young families struggling with finances when a partner dies can now claim support worth up to £9,800, thanks to a campaign backed by Wealth & Personal Finance.

Last week, the House of Commons voted through a bill to help almost 23,000 grieving families where the parents had been cohabiting but not married.

The surviving mother or father will now be able to claim the same bereavement support that was previously only offered to married couples or those in a civil partnership. The new rules, expected to come into force early this year, could benefit an estimated 1,800 widows or widowers a year.

The change is also backdated to cover a further 21,000 claims from August 30, 2018, which may affect those whose partners died more than a decade ago. Unfortunately, families only have a 12-month window to claim backdated support before the offer is axed.

Families entitled to child benefit, still in full-time education up to the age of 20, will be able to receive a £3,500 lump sum followed by monthly payments of £350 for 18 months.

The charity WAY Widowed and Young has been leading the fighting for equal rights for bereaved families, as highlighted in our paper in recent years.

Georgia Elms, campaign ambassador for the charity, says: ‘It is thanks to the campaigning by brave parents of bereaved families – along with support from others – that justice is finally being done. Many have been forced to suffer many years of financial hardship.’

The extra money helps families at their most vulnerable – facing a drop in household income when there can be additional childcare costs along with funeral arrangement fees. To be eligible for help, you must be under state pension age – currently 66. The payments are largely made from the National Insurance contributions of the deceased partner, so they must have paid contributions for at least 25 weeks in a single tax year since 1975 or died from an accident or illness caused by work.

More than half of all births are now to unmarried couples, according to latest figures from the Office for National Statistics.

For further details contact the Bereavement Service Helpline on 0800 151 2012.