Government benefits & financial support (UK)

1. Use GOV.UK “What to do after someone dies” as your master checklist and to access Tell Us Once: gov.uk — After a death
2. If you were a spouse / civil partner, check Bereavement Support Payment immediately (timing affects what you receive): gov.uk — Bereavement Support Payment
3. If anyone in the household is State Pension age or close to it, check Pension Credit and State Pension impacts (this can be larger than BSP in the long run): gov.uk — Pension Credit
4. If income is low, check Universal Credit (especially housing costs) and any Council Tax support: gov.uk — Universal Credit
5. If you’re arranging the funeral and are on certain benefits, check help with funeral costs (different rules England/Wales vs Scotland vs NI): gov.uk — Funeral Expenses Payment

• Partner status: were you married/civil partners, or living together as partners? (Key gateway for BSP and some pension outcomes.)
• Children in the household: dependent children can change Universal Credit elements and family/tax support.
• Your age: working age vs State Pension age changes which system matters most (Universal Credit vs Pension Credit / State Pension).
• Your income + savings: low income can unlock Universal Credit, Pension Credit, and funeral cost support.
• Nation: England/Wales vs Scotland vs Northern Ireland affects some services and funeral-cost pathways.
• Armed Forces / veteran: there may be separate survivor support.
• If you were a carer: carer-related support can change quickly after a death — report changes and ask what replaces it.

Quick routing (use this)

• Spouse/civil partner → go to Bereavement Support Payment
• State Pension age (or close) → go to State Pension & Pension Credit impacts
• Working age + low income / housing pressure → go to Universal Credit
• Scotland / NI funeral pathway questions → go to Help with funeral costs
• Children involved → go to Children & families

Bereavement Support Payment (BSP) is designed to help with the financial impact after your partner dies. It’s not means-tested (it’s not based on your savings), but eligibility rules apply and the timing of your claim matters.

Timing rules (this is where people lose money)

• BSP has a claim window. Claiming earlier helps protect the full value of what you could receive.
• Delays can reduce what’s payable even if you’re eligible — don’t “park it” if you might qualify.
• If there’s an inquest or paperwork delay, still contact DWP and ask how to protect your position — don’t just wait silently.

Pension Credit (low income at State Pension age)

Pension Credit can top up weekly income and can also unlock other help (for example, housing-related support in some cases). If a death reduces household income, you may become newly eligible or entitled to more.

State Pension changes after a death

A death can affect State Pension in several ways depending on your circumstances (your age, your partner’s NI record, and which pension rules applied). The safest approach is to treat this as a specific “case check” rather than guessing.

• If the deceased was receiving State Pension, the payments usually stop and the DWP must be told to prevent overpayments.
• In some cases, you may be able to inherit or benefit from parts of your partner’s entitlement (rules vary).
• If you believe something looks wrong, ask if the department can review entitlement and any arrears/underpayment position.

If you’re working age and on a low income (or your income dropped after the death), Universal Credit may help with living costs and potentially housing costs. Start here:

What to do immediately (to avoid gaps)

• Report the change (household composition, rent liability, childcare, income) as soon as you can.
• If you now have sole responsibility for children, ensure your UC account reflects that — it can change your entitlement.
• If housing costs are involved, keep your tenancy/rent documents ready for verification.
• If you’re unsure what to report, report the change and ask for guidance in writing through your journal.

If you care for children, check whether you need to start, transfer, or update claims. The key government areas are: Child Benefit and (if you’re on them) tax credits / UC child elements.

Tell HMRC and review what should stop

You may need to deal with PAYE (employment/pension tax), self-assessment, tax credits, and Child Benefit. GOV.UK’s “after a death” pathway helps you identify who to contact and when: Tell Us Once and who it can notify

Common “money wins” in this section

• Ensuring the correct tax position for final pay, pension payments, or refunds.
• Stopping benefits/credits that should stop to prevent overpayment recovery later.
• Making sure Child Benefit and household claims reflect the new reality (so you receive what you’re entitled to).
• Asking whether there’s a final tax reconciliation and whether any refund is due.

England & Wales

You may be able to get a Funeral Expenses Payment if you’re on certain benefits and meet relationship rules. Start here:

Scotland

Scotland has a separate benefit called Funeral Support Payment, delivered by Social Security Scotland. Start here:

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland has its own guidance and access routes for funeral cost support. Start here:

If the person who died was a child

There are separate support schemes in parts of the UK for child funeral costs. Start with the official guidance and follow the nation-specific route:

If the deceased served in the Armed Forces, there may be separate survivor support routes depending on service, pension arrangements, and circumstances. Start with the MOD/Armed Forces pension and compensation hubs and follow the survivor pathway as appropriate:

Council Tax changes

Council Tax liability can change after a death (for example, if someone now lives alone, or if a property becomes empty during probate). Your local council is the decision-maker. Use your council’s website and ask for the bereavement/council tax team.

Housing support

If you rent and your income drops, support may be via Universal Credit housing costs (working age) or Housing Benefit (some cases), plus discretionary support depending on the council.

• Death certificate (or interim / certificate of cause of death if applicable)
• Your National Insurance number and the deceased’s National Insurance number
• Proof of relationship (marriage/civil partnership certificate; evidence of living together if needed)
• Children’s details (birth certificates, Child Benefit reference if you have it)
• Proof of address (if requested)
• Bank account details for payments
• Tenancy/rent statement or mortgage details (if claiming housing-related support)
• Any DWP/HMRC letters, benefit reference numbers, and pension paperwork

• Assuming Tell Us Once automatically triggers payments (it often doesn’t).
• Delaying Bereavement Support Payment and losing value because of timing rules.
• Not doing a Pension Credit check after household income drops.
• Not reporting changes promptly to Universal Credit and ending up with overpayments to repay.
• Mixing up Scotland/NI pathways for funeral help and losing time (or applying to the wrong system).
• Forgetting local items like council tax changes and local welfare/discretionary support.
• Not asking HMRC whether a refund is due after final pay/pension/tax position is reconciled.

1. Administrative checklist (notifications + order of admin): What to do after a death (UK)
2. Legal & estate basics (probate/estate, accounts, property basics): Legal & estate basics (UK)
3. Emotional support (grief and support routes): Bereavement support (UK)