No financial support: ex partner death and child.

[oberst]

I am curious if parents get any form of financial assistance when their ex partner dies but they have a child?

It seems that you only get payments if you were cohabiting.

My BIL suddenly passed away, leaving his 3 year old child. His ex, who we all still have a close relationship with, (he did too, I think they were going to try and get back together), is now struggling with the stop of his child maintenance he was paying.

When he was alive he paid for her bills and half of her rent. She is working around her child and we are helping her with childcare too.

It just seems a bit unfair she isn't entitled to anything?

From his estate, or do you mean a specific benefit?

childhoodbereavementnetwork.org.uk/cohabiting#:~:text=From%20February%202023%2C%20cohabiting%20parents,or%20in%20a%20civil%20partnership.

Have a look here, a friend of mine was in a similar situation and got a lump sum via this

Sadly he had no will, no life insurance. He was 36 and wasn't poorly.

We are just trying to find out if there would be any financial help for her and their daughter at all.

Nope. They were not married. This is a good reason to be married. I have been here and experienced the same.

Bereavement support payments you have to have been living together/married.

Did he have a workplace pension or estate?

They weren't co habiting though, he had moved back in with his parents when they decided to split 😕

Did he have any assets at all then?

Nothing!

No workplace pension?

Such a shame as they had only been living apart for about 5-6 months and had gotten together before he had died to see if they could give it another go.

Did he have a pension? The child may be entitled to a dependents pension. What happened to his assets (if he has any). If no Will then they should go in trust for the child.

No, without being too outing, he was paid extremely well but cash in hand (owned company) in the art world as such.

Then it's probably universal credit. It's really shit.

Universal credit etc? Surely she can claim that?

@Humphhhh no pension. No assets! Apart from his beloved classic car which unfortunately isn't worth a lot. I think maybe £2k max. Which will help a little but not for a long time!

She is already claiming as he had moved out.

He really should have had life insurance then . No use in me saying that I know. But if he had a child then he should have taken out life insurance.

Did he have a workplace pension? If so, she may be the beneficiary of the death in service benefit.

@Brainded I know 😩 such a bloody shame.

No unfortunately not. He was an artist as such and owned his own business but all cash in hand mostly.

It's a bit of a rubbish situation and he had no savings either.

So where did all the cash go then, did he just waste it?

I honestly do not know.

Just spent it I guess.

Or she could have.

if I was dependent on an ex partners income I’d make sure I took out life insurance to continue that income should they die.

So he paid no tax and she is looking for a Gov handout? You can't have it both ways

No sorry he definitely did pay tax as we know their parents have just received a notification from HMRC.