Martin Lewis issues two-month warning to parents who could be owed £10,000s

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) changed the eligibility rules for bereavement payments earlier this year - but there is a deadline for backdated payments

Martin Lewis has urged bereaved parents to check if they can claim benefits potentially worth tens of thousands of pounds before an upcoming deadline.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) changed the eligibility rules for Bereavement Support Payments and Widowed Parent’s Allowance earlier this year. Previously, these benefits were only available to married couples and those in civil partnerships - but now, couples who were cohabiting and have dependent children are also eligible.

It is possible to backdate claims, but you only have until February 8, 2024 to apply - after this date, you may not get the full amount of payments owed. Martin explained how if your partner died between April 9, 2001 and April 5, 2017, then you may be able to claim backdated Widowed Parent's Allowance - and this could potentially be worth tens of thousands of pounds.

Widowed Parent’s Allowance has been replaced by Bereavement Support Payments. If your partner died between April 6, 2017, and February 8, 2023, then you may be able to backdate a claim for Bereavement Support Payments instead.

This is worth a maximum of £9,800. The law change for these benefits came into force this February, so if your partner died after February 9, 2023, the new rules for cohabiting couples will now apply to you.

Speaking during his latest Martin Lewis Money Show Live broadcast on ITV, Martin said: “This is urgent and it’s for people whose partner has died since 2001. In February 2023, the court ruled that unmarried couples are due bereavement help as well - yet, backdated claims must be made by February 8, next year. It is not long away, it is urgent because this is not simple.”

The MoneySavingExpert.com founder explained how unmarried couples are only eligible for the backdated payments if they had children, and were under state pension age when their partner died. He said: “What I mean by that is, you have to be eligible for Child Benefit - so that’s a child under 16, or a child under 20, in full-time education - at the time of your partner’s death.

“You don’t have to be claiming it, so if you’re a higher rate taxpayer, that doesn’t matter. You have to be eligible for it. This is for people under state pension age when their partner died, and when their partner died, you must have been married - not for backdated claims, but for claims now - and that includes civil partnership… or cohabiting and living as married

“So if you separated from your partner, even if you had children when they died, I’m afraid you don’t count. If you’re unmarried, you must have been under state pension age on August 30, 2018."

If your partner died within the last 21 months and you didn’t have children, you may be eligible to claim a lower amount of Bereavement Support Payment worth £4,300. In order to qualify for Bereavement Support Payment, your partner must have either paid National Insurance contributions for at least 25 weeks in one tax year since April 6, 1975, or died because of an accident at work or a disease caused by work.