Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the eligibility criteria of the bereavement support payment to include separated parents.
Bereavement Support Payment is available to those who are married, in a cohabiting relationship with dependent children, or in a civil partnership. Parents who are separated but still in a legal union may still access this benefit provided their deceased spouse or civil partner was not in a cohabiting relationship with dependent children on the date of death.
We currently have no plans to change the eligibility criteria for Bereavement Support Payment.