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 bereavement support payments to widowers who were unmarried and living with their partner but who were not pregnant or eligible for child benefit.

Bereavement Support Payment is currently only available to those who are married, in a cohabiting relationship with dependent children, or in a civil partnership. A marriage or civil partnership is a legal contract associated with certain rights. including entitlement to benefits derived from another person's National Insurance contributions such as Bereavement Support Payment. In February 2023, the Government extended bereavement benefits to cohabitees with children in response to two court judgments. However, for families without children, the basic principle for only paying BSP where there was a legal union remains. The Government keeps the eligibility of all benefits including Bereavement Support Payments, under review.