Bereavement Support Payment

On this page you will find information about:

• Arranging a military or private funeral.
• How your rights to Service Accommodation could be affected.
• Financial support that you could be eligible for.

Arranging a funeral

When someone dies and you need to organise a funeral, there may be some unforeseen costs that you can't pay for. Although this topic can be stressful, it is important to understand what help you can receive and how to apply for it.

If the deceased died in service

If the deceased died in Service, the Armed Forces will pay for bringing the body back to the UK and other funeral expenses.

The Purple Pack states the following information:
'The MOD pays for a military funeral and, regardless of whether it is a private or military service, the person arranging the funeral will receive a funeral expenses grant to help cover other costs. Speak to your Visiting Officer for further information.''

Read the Purple Pack bereavement guide for families of service personnel and find out more about the financial support available to you.

The Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC) can provide you with advice and assistance on the marking of a grave.

Find out more about help and support available when someone dies in service on the GOV.UK website.

If the deceased was receiving a War Pension

Read more about War Pensions here on the RBL website.

Eligibility criteria

You may be eligible to claim funeral expenses if:

• the veterans’ death was due to service before 6 April 2005
• War Pensions Constant Attendance Allowance was being paid or would have been paid had the War Pensioner not been in hospital when they died, or
• unemployability Supplement was in payment at the time of death and the War Pension was being paid at 80% or higher. 

The claim must additionally have been made within three months of the date of the funeral.

Find out more about funeral expenses for War Pensioners and veterans on the GOV.UK website.

How to apply

To apply for Funeral Expenses, please complete the form below and send it to:

Veterans UK, War Pensions Scheme, Tomlinson House, Norcross, Thornton-Cleveleys, FY5 3WP, England.

Apply for Funeral Expenses on GOV.UK.

If you cannot download or print the form, you can contact Veterans UK via the GOV.UK website.

To apply for Funeral Expenses and War Widows/widowers Pension, please complete and return the form WPS0004WWP, which can be accessed via the link below.

Apply for Funeral Expenses and War Widow/Widowers Pension on GOV.UK.

My loved one died overseas, how do I bring their body home?

Returning someone's body to their country of origin is known as ‘repatriation’. The process may differ if they were currently serving in the Armed Forces.

Read more about Repatriation following a death abroad here on the RBL website.

How do I arrange a funeral?

If you are arranging a funeral, there is advice and guidance available online to help you.

Learn more about how to arrange a funeral on the Citizens Advice website.

Can I arrange military representation at a funeral?

If you would like to arrange military representation at a funeral, it is strongly recommended that you contact the appropriate Royal Navy, Army (Regimental/Corps), or Royal Air Force Association.

Can the RBL be present at a funeral?

If you would like to arrange RBL representation at a funeral, you should get in touch with your local RBL Branch.

Royal British Legion branches are made up of volunteers and we are therefore unable to guarantee that RBL members, or a Standard Bearer, will be available at short notice in all cases.

Find your local RBL Branch here on the RBL website.

Funeral expenses for War Pensioners and veterans

Funeral expenses are paid as a set amount to help pay for the funeral of a War Pensioner or veteran whose death was due to service before 6th April 2005.

Eligibility

You may be eligibile to make a claim for funeral expenses if:

• death was due to service before 6th April 2005
• War Pensions Constant Attendance Allowance was being paid or would have been paid had the War Pensioner not been in hospital when they died, or
• Unemployability Supplement was in payment at the time of death and the War Pension was being paid at 80% or higher.

Learn more about eligibility and how to claim funeral expenses on GOV.UK.

How should medals be displayed at funerals?

A common way to display medals at a funeral is to pin them to a suitable cushion, navy blue if possible for a sailor, and place it on the 'head' of the coffin.

The Undertaker can advise you on securing the cushion to the coffin, and on discrete removal before interment/cremation.

Scattering ashes in the UK or overseas

If your loved one has or will be cremated, you may wish to scatter their ashes. It is important to be aware of the rules and regulations in the UK and overseas if you choose to do this.

Find out more about how to scatter ashes in the UK and overseas here on the RBL website.

Housing

Will I be able to stay in Service Accommodation?

The Purple Pack states that, depending on your circumstances, you may have up to two (2) years to adjust and make alternative arrangements.

It is suggested that you speak to your Visiting Officer for more information. You can find more information about Visiting Officrs in The Purple Pack.

Read more frequently asked questions in The Purple Pack on GOV.UK.

Independent legal advice following a death in service

Inquiries and inquests: Accessing legal advice

If your bereaved military family is facing the complicated process of an inquiry and inquest, our Independent Inquest Advice (IIA) service may be able to help you access free legal advice.

Find out more about the Royal British Legions IIA service an how they could assist you, on the RBL Knowledge Base website.

Immigration

My service partner / parent has passed away, how will this affect the immigration status of my service family?

The loss of a loved one is a very hard time, and understandably dealing with official processes such as your immigration status may be the last thing you want to think about.

However, please be aware that your immigration status may change depending on your relationship status to the deceased.

The Naval Families Federation has information for families from all services about how your immigration status may change.

Find out more about Immigration Rules on the Naval Families Federation website.

Financial support

Bereavement Support Payments

If you are a widow, widower or surviving civil partner aged between 45 and State Pension age, you may be able to claim Bereavement Support Payments.

Learn more about the Bereavement Support Payments on GOV.UK.

Bereavement Support Allowance – England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland

If you are a widow, widower or surviving civil partner aged between 45 and State Pension age, you may be able to claim Bereavement Allowance (previously known as Widow's Pension).

You must claim within 3 months of your partner’s death to get the full amount. You can claim up to 21 months after their death, but you’ll get fewer monthly payments.

Eligibility

Bereavement support is not means tested. This means that what you earn or how much you have in savings will not affect what you get.

When your partner died, you must have been:

• under State Pension age, and
• living in the UK or a country that pays bereavement benefits.

Your partner must have either:

• paid National Insurance contributions for at least 25 weeks in one tax year since 6 April 1975, or
• died because of an accident at work or a disease caused by work.

You cannot claim Bereavement Support Payment if you’re in prison.

Find out more about Bereavement Support Payments, eligibility and how to apply in:

• England, Scotland, and Wales on GOV.UK.
• England, Scotland and Wales, in Welsh/Cymraeg on GOV.UK.
• Northern Ireland on the nidirect website.

Funeral Expenses Payment – England, Northern Ireland and Wales

A Funeral Expenses Payment, also known as a Funeral Payment, could help you to pay for some of the costs related to arranging a funeral. The payment could help with:

• burial fees for a particular plot
• cremation fees, including the cost of the doctor’s certificate
• travel to arrange or go to the funeral
• the cost of moving the body within the UK, if it’s being moved more than 50 miles, or
• death certificates or other documents.

Those who are eligible could also receive up to £1,000 for other funeral expenses including funeral directors’ fees or flowers for the funeral.

The payment will not usually cover all of the costs of the funeral. Additionally, if you receive money from the deceased’s estate the payment amount will be deducted from what you receive.

Eligibility

To be eligible for a Funeral Expenses payment you must:

• receive certain benefits or tax credits
• meet the rules on your relationship with the deceased, and
• be arranging a funeral in the UK, the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland.

Find out more about Funeral Expenses Payments and how the money is paid, and eligibility on GOV.UK.

Read more about Funeral Expenses Payments, eligibility, and repayments on nidirect.

Funeral Support Payment - Scotland

A Funeral Support Payment will help to pay for some of the costs related to organising a funeral. The payment can be made directly to you, or the funeral director.

Eligibility

To be eligible for a Funeral Support Payment the following criteria must apply:

• you live in Scotland
• you or your partner are getting certain benefits or tax credits
• the person who died lived in the UK
• the funeral is being held in the UK or in some circumstances in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland
• you are applying after the person has died, until 6 months after the date of their funeral
• you or your partner are responsible for the funeral, and
• it is reasonable for you or your partner to accept responsibility for the funeral costs.

Find out more about Funeral Support Payments, eligibility and how to apply on mygov.scot.

Armed Forces Bereavement Scholarship Scheme – For the bereaved children of service personnel

The Armed Forces Bereavement Scholarship Scheme (AFBSS) aims to provide the children of Service Personnel, a head start in life by allowing them to progress in their post 16 education.

The scheme is available to applicants that meet all of the following criteria:

• A parent of the applicant died whilst serving within the Armed Forces and the parent's death was deemed to be attributable to their service, and for which the child or surviving parent is receiving benefits under a MOD benefits scheme.
• The deceased parent died after 00:01 hours on 1st January 1990.
• At the time of death, the applicant was a child of the deceased service person, or the applicant was the biological child of the deceased and was born within 42 weeks of the parent's death.
• For Further Education the applicant must be due to start or started Further Education course while still in compulsory education or within 3 years of finishing school education. For Higher Education, the applicant must be due to start or have started their course within 3 years of finishing further education. If this is delayed, they must provide a valid reason.

Learn more about the provisions, eligibility, and how to apply for the Armed Forces Bereavement Scholarship Scheme.

War Widow / Widowers Pension

War Widows or Widowers Pension are paid at different rates depending on your age and circumstances. The payments are tax free and can be made to an eligible bereaved wife, husband or civil partner.

You may be eligible for War Widows or Widowers Pension if your wife, husband or civil partner died as a result of their service in His Majesty’s (HM) Armed Forces before 6th April 2005.

Eligibility

One of the following must apply, your wife, husband or civil partner:

• Died as a result of their service in HM Armed Forces before 6th April 2005.
• Was a civil defence volunteer or a civilian and their death was a result of the 1939 to 1945 war.
• Was a merchant seaman, a member of the naval auxiliary services, or a coastguard and their death was a result of an injury or disease they got during a war or because they were a prisoner of war.
• Died as a result of their service as a member of the Polish Forces under British command during the 1939 to 1945 war, or in the Polish Resettlement Forces.
• Was getting a War Pensions Constant Attendance Allowance at the time of their death, or would have been had they not been in hospital.
• Was getting a War Disablement Pension at the 80% rate or higher and was getting Unemployability Supplement.

Learn more about the War Widow / Widowers Pensions here on the RBL website.

War Widow / Widowers Recognition Payment Scheme

The widowed partners of Armed Forces personnel who forfeited their service attributable pensions prior to 2015 could now be eligible for a one-off payment of £87,500.

Read the eligibility criteria for the Recognition Payment Scheme on the GOV.UK website.

Find out more about the Recognition Payment Scheme and how to make a claim on GOV.UK.

War Widow / Widowers HM Forces Railcard

As a widow or widower of a member of the Armed Forces, you are entitled to many of the discount cards available to forces personnel and their families.

This scheme is in place to provide 1/3 reduced price to War Widow(er)s and free travel for children under the age of 16 of deceased Service personnel.

Learn more about the War Widow(er)s HM Forces Railcard here on the RBL website.