How to claim
You can claim Bereavement Support Payment online, by telephone, or by post. No route is better than another in terms of the amount you receive; choose the route you can complete soonest, because the claim windows run from the death, not from the date you feel ready. If someone you trust can sit with you while you claim, accept that help. There is no requirement to claim alone, and there is no penalty for asking a family member, friend, or adviser to help you gather the information.
What you will need
- Your National Insurance number.
- Your bank or building society account details, for payment.
- The date your partner died.
- Your partner's National Insurance number.
You may also need your marriage or civil partnership certificate, and, for the higher rate, your Child Benefit details, including a new Child Benefit claim in your own name if Child Benefit was previously in your late partner's name. Do not delay the claim because one document is missing. Tell the Bereavement Service what is missing and ask what can follow later. A claim started on time with a document to follow is far better than a complete claim made after a window has closed.
The three routes
Online. Apply through GOV.UK's Bereavement Support Payment service. The online form asks for the information listed above and guides you through each section. Keep a note of any reference number you are given, and save or print the confirmation if the service offers one.
By phone. Call the Bereavement Service. In England, the number published by MoneyHelper is 0800 151 2012, with a Welsh language line on 0800 731 0453 and a textphone service on 0800 731 0464. Lines are free to call. If you live in Northern Ireland, use the nidirect route. A phone claim lets you ask questions as you go, which many people prefer in the first weeks.
By post. Download form BSP1 from GOV.UK, or ask the Bereavement Service to post one to you, complete it, and send it to the address on the form. Posted claims take longer to arrive, so post promptly and, if you can, keep a copy of the completed form and proof of posting. The date the Department receives the claim matters, not only the date you posted it, so do not leave a postal claim until the last days of a window.
If you live abroad
Call the International Pension Centre on +44 (0) 191 206 9390, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, or use Relay UK on +44 151 494 1260 followed by 0191 206 9390 if you cannot hear or speak on the phone. Those details are taken from GOV.UK's own claim guidance. People living in a country that pays bereavement benefits under an agreement with the UK should use this route rather than the domestic helpline.
After you claim
The Department checks the National Insurance condition and the other eligibility conditions, and writes to you with a decision. If the claim succeeds, the lump sum is normally paid first, followed by the monthly payments into your chosen account. Tell your benefits office as soon as the first payment arrives, as the other benefits page explains. If the decision is not what you expected, do not ignore the letter: the if refused page explains the challenge steps and their time limits. Keep every letter, note the date of each phone call and the name of anyone you speak to, and keep copies of anything you send. In a system where dates decide money, your own dated notes are part of your evidence.
Sources: GOV.UK, Bereavement Support Payment (eligibility, what you will get, how to claim), checked 25 October 2026; DWP Bereavement Support Payment claim notes; House of Commons Library, Bereavement Support Payment (CBP-7887).