A question about bereavement payment and other payments

[cathcat]

Someone I know has just been widowed very young, they have one child. Discussing money is always a sensitive issue (at an already emotional time) so will she know about the bereavement payment and widowed parents allowance? Do funeral directors tell people these things, or perhaps when you register the death? Just want to help them in any way I can. TIA.

The registrar mentioned it to me when I registered the death, they give you a form to take to the benefits office. You could get the forms for her, my local Jobcentre Plus had them,if you know her well enough and think it would help.

Thank you Evenstar.

Have got quite an interesting slant on bereavment benefits- although from a Scottish perspective. Following the death of my partner of 24 years and father of my 2 children aged 7 and 2, I am not entitled to a penny as we were not married. Anyone with any interest I will gladly share my knowledge.

Googledoogle, I'm so sorry to hear that. I'm in Scotland too but had no idea about this rule. Does 'common law' not apply or is that a popular misunderstanding?

Can look on the web as well....I applied for my mum's on-line

You have to have been married or in a civil partnership to claim these benefits, cathcat, or that is certainly the case in England, I think benefits are the same in Scotland as the rest of the UK aren't they?

Oh, here we are now, a passionate subject that is very close to my heart (for obvious reasons). Like most bereft people, the undertaker was very good with advice on relative issues to me. My very practical friend, downloaded the bb1 form and completed it for my to take to the local jobcentre plus office, which I did and waited for a reply. During the wait, a friend and workcolleague who Found herself in the exact same position as me, partner of long, killed in exactly the same workplace as my partner of 24 years, told me of her trauma at the hands of the bereavements benefit agency. Without going into the small print, the rules are very similar to that in England only one wee difference. The Family Law (Scotland) Act 2006 section 29. I am very passionate about this law at present, not only is this the recurring theme of my post graduate course but it is also the one that my constituency MP has taken to the floor of Westminster on my behalf! This is an outdated ruling that has been included in a relatively new act. There are a few disciminating factors within it. The first and most obvious factor is the discrimination against couples who are not married, as work and pensions are not a devolved issue English couples are also discriminated against as they dont even have the chance to claim at all using habit and repute! The most annoying thing for me personally is the fact that there are still children within my scenario and because we were not married I am not entitled to widowed parents allowance! The payments are based on National Insurance contributions and as we have both worked all our lives, my parnter never having had a medical certificate from his doctor to claim sick pay and for me this is the first time I have had any form of 'sickness' pay due to absence due to bereavement! The treatment from the agency is shocking so before anyone goes down this road to claiming please please please be prepared for very intrusive questioning from a few uncaring individuals, if you are neither married nor in a civil partnership. Proving habit and repute is a very difficult process so therefore common law means virtually nothing as far as this benefit goes.