What Happens to Benefits When Someone Dies?

When somebody dies, dealing with benefits may be one of many practical things that suddenly need attention.

You may be wondering:

Do I need to tell the Department for Work and Pensions?

What happens to the benefits they were receiving?

Will my own benefits change?

Is there any financial support following a bereavement?

The answer depends on which benefits were being received and your relationship with the person who died.

The important thing is to report the death and then check how your own financial position may have changed.

What happens to the benefits of the person who died?

Benefits and State Pension paid to the person who died will need to be stopped.

In England, Scotland and Wales, you can usually use the government’s Tell Us Once service after the death has been registered.

Tell Us Once can notify a number of government organisations about the death, including the Department for Work and Pensions and relevant local-authority services.

If Tell Us Once cannot be used, the relevant organisations will need to be contacted separately.

The process is different in Northern Ireland.

What is Tell Us Once?

Tell Us Once is a government service designed to reduce the number of organisations you have to contact individually after somebody dies.

When you register the death, the registrar will usually explain the service.

They may complete the process with you or give you a unique reference number so you can use Tell Us Once yourself.

The service can notify relevant government organisations about things such as:

benefits
State Pension
some local-authority services
tax
driving licence
passport
Blue Badge

It does not notify every private organisation.

Banks, insurers, utility companies and many private or workplace pension providers may still need to be contacted separately.

What if the person who died received several benefits?

You do not necessarily have to understand how every benefit should be stopped before reporting the death.

Tell Us Once can deal with many government notifications.

If you cannot use it, the DWP Bereavement Service can help cancel DWP benefits and State Pension.

Keep a record of who has been notified and any reference numbers you are given.

This can be useful when you are dealing with several organisations at a difficult time.

Could my own benefits change?

Yes.

A death can change your household circumstances significantly.

For example, you may now have:

less household income
different housing costs
different caring responsibilities
different responsibility for children
a change to your Universal Credit household
different entitlement to Pension Credit or other means-tested support
changes affecting Council Tax

You may need to make a new claim for some benefits that your partner previously claimed for the household.

Do not assume that benefits will automatically transfer into your name.

Should I complete a new benefits check?

Yes, this can be very useful.

Even if you already receive benefits, your entitlement may change following a bereavement.

A new check can help you explore whether you might now qualify for different or additional support.

Try to have information about:

your current income
savings
housing costs
pensions
benefits you already receive
children living with you
your new household circumstances

MH360 Entitled can also help people explore benefits and financial support they may be missing.

Is there a benefit specifically for bereavement?

Depending on your circumstances, Bereavement Support Payment may be available following the death of a spouse, civil partner or, in qualifying circumstances, a partner you were living with as though married.

Eligibility depends on factors including your relationship with the person who died, their National Insurance record or circumstances surrounding their death, your age and when the death occurred.

There are time limits which can affect what you receive.

If you think you may qualify, check promptly rather than leaving the claim until much later.

Will Bereavement Support Payment affect my other benefits?

Under the current rules, Bereavement Support Payment does not affect your other benefits for the first year after your first payment.

After that period, any money remaining from the payment may potentially affect means-tested benefits in some circumstances.

You should tell the relevant benefits office when you start receiving Bereavement Support Payment.

If you are unsure how it affects your existing benefits, seek benefits advice.

What if I’m struggling with funeral costs?

If you are responsible for arranging a funeral and receive certain qualifying benefits, you may be able to get a Funeral Expenses Payment.

Eligibility depends on your circumstances, your relationship with the person who died and the funeral arrangements.

The payment may not cover the full cost of the funeral.

Other help may also be available in some circumstances.

Do not assume that you have to meet every funeral cost yourself before checking what support exists.

What if a child has died?

Different rules apply when a child dies.

You may need to report the death separately to the DWP if you receive benefits because you are the child’s parent or carer, even where Tell Us Once is used.

There may also be specific financial support associated with the death of a child or a stillbirth, depending on the circumstances.

Seek current information about the particular benefits you receive.

What about Carer’s Allowance?

If you were receiving Carer’s Allowance because you cared for the person who died, the death needs to be reported.

The rules allow Carer’s Allowance to continue for a limited period in some circumstances following the death of the person being cared for.

Do not simply assume that payment must stop immediately or that it will continue automatically.

Report the change and check what applies to you.

Your wider benefit entitlement may also have changed because your caring role and household circumstances are now different.

What about pensions?

State Pension is dealt with through the government notification process.

Personal and workplace pensions are different.

You may need to contact the pension provider directly.

There may also be benefits payable to a surviving spouse, civil partner or other beneficiary under a workplace or private pension scheme.

If you do not know whether the person had a workplace or private pension, there are services that can help trace pension schemes.

What if money is paid after the person has died?

Do not assume that a benefit or pension payment received after somebody’s death can simply be kept or used.

Depending on the payment period and circumstances, some money may need to be repaid.

If a payment arrives and you are unsure whether it was due, contact the organisation that made it before spending it.

Take the practical tasks one at a time

Benefits paperwork can feel particularly difficult when you are grieving.

You do not need to understand the entire benefits system.

A useful order can be:

Report the death.

Check which payments need to stop.

Check whether your existing benefits need to change.

Complete a new benefits check.

Check whether bereavement or funeral support may be available.

Ask for help if you are unsure.

You can deal with the practical financial consequences of a death while also giving yourself space to deal with the bereavement itself.

7.9: What Benefits Might I Be Entitled To?

7.10: How Can I Check Whether I’m Missing Out on Benefits?

7.15: What Benefits and Financial Help Are Available for Carers?

7.17: I’ve Had a Change in Circumstances, Do I Need to Report It?

7.27: What Is Attendance Allowance?

7.30: What Financial Help Might Be Available in Later Life?

9.1: Understanding Grief

9.3: Coping After Someone Dies

17.1: Someone Has Died, What Do I Need to Do First?

17.4: What Happens to Someone’s Benefits When They Die?

17.9: I’m Worried About Money After Someone Has Died

17.10: Is There Help With Funeral Costs?

Important information

This guide provides general information and is not intended to provide benefits, financial, pensions, legal or other professional advice. Benefit rules, payments and eligibility criteria can change, and individual circumstances can be different. Check current information from official sources or seek advice from an appropriately qualified benefits adviser before making important decisions.