Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the time frame in which bereavement support can be claimed.

Bereavement Support Payment (BSP) helps people with short-term bereavement costs, by way of a lump sum followed by up to 18 monthly instalments. The lump sum has a 12 -month, and each instalment a 3- month, time limit for claiming. A person would need to claim BSP 21 months late to forfeit the entire benefit. So, for example, if someone was 6 months late in claiming BSP they would still get the lump sum and over a years’ worth of monthly payments.

The 3-month time limit for the monthly payments is consistent with most social security benefits. This rule is absolute, does not allow for discretionary backdating and is set out in legislation.