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Bereavement Statutory Payment must be extended to cohabiting partners

After a decade-long sector wide campaign, the eligibility rules for Bereavement Support Payment were changed on 9 February 2023 and surviving members of a cohabiting couple with children can now make a claim for support of almost £10,000.
CBN Cohabiting campaign win

Bereavement Support Payment extended to those whose partner was unable to make sufficient NI contributions due to sickness or disability

The recent changes to the eligibility criteria for cohabiting parents do not change the eligibility criteria that relate to NI contributions. However, there is a separate campaign to extend eligibility to people whose partner was not able to make NI contributions because of illness or disability throughout their working life. This campaign has been successful in the Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland and in Great Britain but the previous government signalled its intent to appeal this decision.

The Childhood Bereavement Network and WAY Widowed and Young are making representations to the new government to reconsider the eligibility criteria.

Funeral Expenses Payment extended to students

There has been no progress on this issue

Funeral Expenses Payment and Bereavement Statutory Payment extended to those with No Recourse to Public Funds

There has been no progress on this issue.

Financial support following a bereavement must be extended beyond current time limits

In April 2023, following a consultation on the new Scottish Carer’s Assistance, the Scottish Government published a commitment to extending Carer Support Payments from 8 to 12 weeks when a cared for person dies. A petition set up by WAY Widowed and Young member Rachel Viveash has reached over 10,000 signatures. The Government has responded and has not accepted this proposal.

Bereavement Support Payment extended to 6 years / completion of 1 year of secondary education for the youngest child (up from 18 months)

This issue was taken up by the Liberal Democrats as a major plank of their manifesto commitments in the run-up to the General Election. The Child Bereavement Network and WAY Widowed and Young are meeting with parliamentarians to continue to press for change.

All benefits for bereaved people must be up-rated annually in line with inflation in all four nations.

While Guardian’s Allowance and Pension Credit were uprated in April 2023, the main benefit for working age bereaved people - Bereavement Support Payment - has been frozen since it was introduced in April 2017, meaning it has lost value over time.

The Childhood Bereavement Network continues to draw attention to this in representations to DWP. Funeral Expenses Payment has also not been increased since 2020. Quaker Social Action organised a sector letter to the Pension Minister asking for the capped element to be increased in line with inflation to account for the rising cost of funerals, but this was refused.

Governments across the four UK nations must work to increase uptake of Pension credit

UKCB steering group member Independent Age has conducted long term activity to highlight low Pension Credit uptake and push governments and others to act. Following the government’s announcement in July 2024 to introduce means-testing for Winter Fuel Payment, there have been a range of measures aimed at increased Pension Credit take up, including a week of Action in September 2024.

Legislation must require that landlords give at least 6 months' notice for an eviction after a bereavement (England)

Marie Curie has further explored the links between housing insecurity and bereavement through the commissioning of new polling data which revealed that around one in ten bereaved renters are forced to move home as a direct result of being bereaved.

The previous UK government introduced a Renters’ Reform Bill. Marie Curie briefed in probing amendments calling for the removal of death of a tenant as a ground for eviction, with the support of the Labour Party in opposition. This bill did not pass into law before the general election, but the new government has introduced a very similar Renters’ Rights Bill. Disappointingly it makes no proposal to remove or substantively amend ground 7 (death of a tenant) as a grounds for possession. Marie Curie has raised their concerns, briefing into the bill at second reading and will continue to push for the bill to be amended to ensure that bereaved renters are protected.

Legislation must require that landlords give at least 6 months' notice for an eviction after a bereavement. (Scotland)

In Scotland Marie Curie has used the “Dying in the Margins” research to introduce MSPs and Government to the relationship between insecure housing and bereavement. This work was also cited in October 2024 by the Scottish Parliament’s Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee which has recommended that the Scottish Government considers our proposals to protect bereaved tenants from eviction.
Dying in the Margins report

Legislation must require that landlords give at least 6 months' notice for an eviction after a bereavement. (Wales)

In Wales, the Renting Homes law has given more rights to tenants, including enhanced succession rights. The new law enables both a priority and reserve person to succeed an occupation contract if the contract holder dies, allowing two successions to take place. A new succession right for carers has also been introduced. In addition, there is greater security for people who live in the private rented sector, to whom landlords must give at least 6 months’ ‘no fault’ notice.