When Your Spouse or Partner Dies

Q: How much is Bereavement Support Payment in 2026?

With dependent children: £3,500 lump sum plus £350 per month for 18 months. Without children: £2,500 lump sum plus £100 per month for 18 months. Claim within 3 months of the death for the full amount. Claim between 3 and 12 months and you keep the lump sum but lose some monthly payments. Claim after 12 months and the lump sum is lost altogether, though some monthly payments can still be claimed up to 21 months.

Losing your husband, wife, or partner touches every part of daily life, and at the same time you are asked to deal with money, paperwork, and decisions you never expected to make alone. This guide covers the things that matter most for surviving spouses and partners: the help you may be entitled to, and the financial changes that come with being on your own. Take it a section at a time.

Two hands gently clasped together in warm, soft light — Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

Immediate steps

You are next of kin

As a spouse or civil partner, you are legally next of kin. Hospitals, GPs, and the coroner will treat you as the primary contact. You have the right to make funeral decisions and to apply for probate (or Letters of Administration if there is no will). If you and your partner were separated but not divorced, you may still hold this legal position: check with a solicitor if there is any uncertainty.

Registering the death

Register the death within 5 days in England and Wales (8 days in Scotland) at the local register office. You will need the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death. Order at least 6 to 8 certified copies of the death certificate (£12.50 each in England and Wales, £15 in Scotland): you will need one for each bank, insurance policy, pension provider, the mortgage lender, and various government departments. Use Tell Us Once at the appointment to notify the DWP, HMRC, DVLA, and other bodies in a single step.

Contacting the DWP immediately

If your partner received any state benefits or the state pension, these need to be stopped fairly quickly, because anything overpaid has to be paid back out of the estate later. Call the DWP bereavement service on 0800 151 2012. The same call tells you what you may be able to claim, including Bereavement Support Payment (see below), so it is one of the more worthwhile phone calls to make early. The earlier you call, the more of your entitlement you will receive.

Bereavement Support Payment

What is Bereavement Support Payment?

Bereavement Support Payment (BSP) is a government benefit for surviving partners who are under State Pension age when their partner dies. It is paid as a lump sum followed by monthly payments for 18 months. It does not count as income for tax purposes and does not affect most other benefits. Married couples and civil partners qualify. Since 9 February 2023, when the Bereavement Benefits (Remedial) Order 2023 came into force, cohabiting partners with dependent children can also claim.

Higher rate: with dependent children

If you have at least one dependent child or are pregnant: you receive a lump sum of £3,500 followed by £350 per month for up to 18 months. The lump sum is paid in the first month. To qualify for the higher rate, you must be entitled to Child Benefit (or would be if you applied). You do not need to be receiving Child Benefit at the time of the death.

Standard rate: without dependent children

Without dependent children: you receive a lump sum of £2,500 followed by £100 per month for up to 18 months. The total standard rate payment over 18 months is £4,300. Payments stop if you reach State Pension age during the 18 months.

How to claim and the time limit

It is worth claiming as early as you can manage, even if it feels too soon, because the amount you receive depends on when you claim. Within 3 months of the death, you get the lump sum and all 18 monthly payments. Between 3 and 12 months, you still get the lump sum but only some of the monthly payments. After 12 months, the lump sum is lost entirely (£2,500 or £3,500), though you can still get some monthly payments up to 21 months. After 21 months you usually cannot get anything. The 12-month point is the one that costs the most. Claim online at gov.uk/bereavement-support-payment or by calling the DWP on 0800 151 2012. You will need the death certificate, your partner's National Insurance number, and your bank details.

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Joint accounts, mortgage, and property

Joint bank accounts

Joint accounts carry on working normally after one account holder passes away, so you can keep using the account as usual. Let the bank know so they can update their records and take your partner's name off the account. Joint accounts do not form part of the estate and do not require probate. Sole accounts in your partner's name will be frozen until probate is granted.

The mortgage

Contact your mortgage lender as soon as possible. If your partner had life insurance linked to the mortgage, the policy will pay it off directly. If not, the mortgage continues and becomes your sole responsibility. Lenders are generally understanding during bereavement and most will offer a payment holiday if you need time to sort things out. Ask about changing the mortgage to a sole name, and check what any change in income means for your affordability. Some lenders will require probate before making changes.

Property ownership: joint tenants vs tenants in common

If you owned the property as joint tenants, your partner's share passes automatically to you when they pass away, without going through probate. You will need to register the change with the Land Registry (form DJP, no fee for the survivorship application itself). If you owned as tenants in common, your partner's share forms part of their estate and must go through probate. Check the Land Registry title for your property to confirm which applies.

Council tax: single person discount

Once you are the only adult in the property, you are entitled to a 25% council tax discount. You will need to contact your local council to ask for it, as the discount is not applied automatically. You may also be entitled to a council tax exemption for the period straight after your partner passes away (up to 6 months in some circumstances). If you later move to a smaller property, your council tax will change again.

Pension survivor benefits

Workplace and private pensions

Contact every pension provider your partner had. Many workplace pensions include a survivor's pension, which pays a proportion of your partner's pension to you for life (often 50% of their entitlement). There may also be a lump sum death benefit, particularly from defined contribution (money purchase) pensions. Check whether your partner completed a nomination of beneficiary form: pension death benefits are often paid at the trustees' discretion to the nominated person, outside the estate.

State pension for surviving spouses

If your partner had a State Pension or had made National Insurance contributions, you may be able to inherit some of their entitlement to boost your own. If they reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016, you may inherit part of their Additional State Pension (SERPS or State Second Pension). If they reached State Pension age on or after that date, what you can inherit is narrower: half of any protected payment they had. In both cases your marriage or civil partnership must have begun before 6 April 2016. Contact the Pension Service on 0800 731 0469 to find out exactly what you are entitled to.

Other benefits to check

Your household income will have changed a great deal, often overnight. It is worth checking whether you are now entitled to Universal Credit, Pension Credit (if you are over the qualifying age), Housing Benefit, or Council Tax Support. The benefits calculators at entitledto.co.uk and turn2us.org.uk will show what you qualify for. Please do not assume it is not for you: many people who have lost a partner are surprised by what they can claim.

There is a lot to do, and it can feel relentless. Please do not try to sort everything at once. The financial and legal tasks will wait a little longer than you think. If you need to talk to someone, the Cruse Bereavement Support helpline is free: 0808 808 1677.

Changing documents and accounts

Documents to update in your name

Over the weeks and months ahead, you will need to update a range of accounts and documents. Work through these at your own pace: the V5C logbook for any car you are keeping (DVLA form V62), your home insurance, contents insurance, utility accounts, broadband and TV accounts, any investment or savings accounts you held jointly, and any rental income properties. Use our template letters to make this easier.

Car insurance

Notify your car insurer of the change in household circumstances. If your partner was named on the policy, remove them. If your partner owned the car and it is now being transferred to you, you will need to update the V5C with the DVLA and arrange insurance in your own name before driving the vehicle. Driving without valid insurance is a serious offence. Contact the DVLA on 0300 790 6802 for vehicle registration queries.

Your own will and lasting power of attorney

This is probably the last thing you want to think about, and there is no rush, but it does matter: at some point, review your own will. If your partner was your main beneficiary and executor, it will need updating. In the same way, if your partner held Lasting Power of Attorney for you, that came to an end when they passed away, and it is worth putting a new one in place when you feel ready. A solicitor can help, or you can update a will through a reputable online service from around £100.

If you were not married or in a civil partnership

Cohabiting partners have fewer legal rights

If you were living together but not married or in a civil partnership, the law treats you very differently from a spouse. You are not automatically entitled to inherit anything unless you are named in the will. You may not have the right to remain in a jointly rented home without being named on the tenancy. You may have fewer rights to pension death benefits, depending on the scheme rules. This is a deeply unfair situation that many people do not discover until it is too late. One thing you may well be entitled to: since 9 February 2023, cohabiting partners with dependent children can claim Bereavement Support Payment, so long as you were living together as though married and were entitled to Child Benefit for a child living with you, or were pregnant when your partner died.

What cohabiting partners can do

If you are named in the will, you can inherit and apply for probate as administrator alongside any executor. If you are not named in the will, or there is no will, you can make a claim under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 if you were financially dependent on your partner, or lived with them for at least 2 years before the death. You must act within 6 months of probate being granted. Get legal advice immediately if you are in this situation.

Inheritance tax for cohabiting couples

Married couples and civil partners can leave everything to each other free of inheritance tax. This exemption does not apply to cohabiting partners. If your partner's estate passes to you as a cohabiting partner, inheritance tax may be due at 40% on everything above £325,000. There is no equivalent of the spouse exemption. This can mean a significant tax bill on a shared home. Get professional advice early.

Emotional support and taking care of yourself

The grief of losing a partner

Losing your partner runs through every part of ordinary life. It is not only the grief: it is the empty side of the bed, the second cup of tea you still make, the person who shared your routines, your decisions, your home, and your plans. Many people say it feels like losing part of themselves as much as losing someone else. It can go on for years, and it may look nothing like you expected. There is no right way to do this and no timetable you are behind on.

Support specifically for widows and widowers

Widowed and Young (WAY) supports people widowed under 51: way.org.uk or 0300 012 4929. Cruse Bereavement Support: free helpline 0808 808 1677. The Bereavement Advice Centre: 0800 634 9494, with specific financial guidance for bereaved people. Sue Ryder online bereavement counselling: sueryder.org. Your GP can refer you to local counselling or talking therapies on the NHS.

If you have children

If you have children, you are carrying your own grief while holding theirs as well, which is a great deal to ask of anyone. Winston's Wish supports bereaved children and their families: winstonswish.org or 08088 020 021. Child Bereavement UK also offers support for the whole family: childbereavementuk.org or 0800 02 888 40. Be honest with children at an age-appropriate level: children generally cope better with truthful, simple explanations than with silence or euphemism.

Common questions when a spouse dies

How much is Bereavement Support Payment in 2026?

If you have dependent children, you receive a lump sum of £3,500 plus £350 per month for up to 18 months. Without dependent children, the lump sum is £2,500 plus £100 per month for up to 18 months. Claim within 3 months of the death to receive the full amount. Claim between 3 and 12 months and you keep the lump sum but lose some monthly payments. Claim after 12 months and the lump sum is lost altogether, though some monthly payments can still be claimed up to 21 months. Apply at gov.uk/bereavement-support-payment or call 0800 151 2012.

What happens to our joint mortgage when my spouse dies?

If your spouse had life insurance linked to the mortgage, the policy should pay it off. If not, the mortgage becomes your sole responsibility. Contact your lender promptly. Most will offer a payment holiday or reduced payments while you sort out your finances. They will not typically repossess a home during the immediate bereavement period.

Can I inherit my spouse's state pension?

Under the new State Pension, you can inherit half of your partner's protected payment if your marriage or civil partnership began before 6 April 2016, they reached State Pension age on or after that date, and they died on or after it. If they reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016, you may instead inherit part of their Additional State Pension (SERPS or State Second Pension), again provided your relationship began before 6 April 2016. The rules are complex and depend on when each of you reached State Pension age. Contact the Pension Service on 0800 731 0469 for a detailed calculation.

Do I need probate if everything was in joint names?

If all assets were held in joint names (joint tenancy for property, joint bank accounts), you may not need probate. Joint assets pass automatically to the surviving partner. However, if your spouse had any sole-name assets above the bank's probate threshold, you will likely need probate for those. Check with each institution individually.

Official resources

gov.uk/bereavement-support-payment : Claim Bereavement Support Payment online
gov.uk/after-a-death : Step-by-step guide from the government
gov.uk/state-pension-through-partner : Inheriting state pension from a spouse
way.org.uk : Widowed and Young, support for people widowed under 51
cruse.org.uk : Free bereavement support and counselling

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