Bereavement Benefits

All benefits stop when a person passes away and it is the living relatives or friends that can make the claim.

The Bereavement Service for Northern Ireland

The Bereavement Service is a freephone service that is used for advice when someone passes. If this deceased is in receipt of benefits or state pension, call the freephone number to which they will talk you through the following steps.

Reporting a death – the bereavement service will record the date of death and report it to the office which pays the benefits to the deceased.
Check for help with funeral costs – Will check eligibility for a Funeral Expenses Payment or a Child Funeral Fund payment.
Check for eligibility from Bereavement Support Payment

Information about the deceased you will need for reporting a death to the bereavement service:

Date of death, date of birth and National Insurance Number.
Their address.
Any benefits they received.
Your relationship to the deceased.

Freephone – 0800 085 2463

Textphone – 0808 100 2198

Further Information

Funeral Payment

If you’re on a low income and need help to pay for a funeral you’re arranging, you may be able to get a Funeral Payment from the Social Fund. You might have to repay some or all of it from the estate of the person who died.

Who is eligible?

You may be able to get a Funeral Payment but it depends on the benefits you are receiving, your relationship with the person who died, any other funds, other than your personal savings, that may be available to help with the cost of the funeral. Such as the deceased estate.

Benefits and tax credits

You may be eligible for a Funeral Payment from the Social Fund if you or your partner are getting any of the following benefits or tax credits:

Income Support
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Pension Credit
Housing Benefit
Working Tax Credit which includes a disability or severe disability element
Child Tax Credit at a rate higher than the family element

Bereavement Allowance

After you’re widowed you may be able to claim Bereavement Allowance, a taxable weekly benefit. It is paid to you for up to 52 weeks from the date of death of your husband, wife or civil partner.

Who can claim?

You may be able to claim Bereavement Allowance if all of the following apply:

you’re a widow, widower or surviving civil partner aged 45 or over when your husband, wife or civil partner died
you’re not bringing up children
you’re under State Pension age
your late husband, wife or civil partner paid National Insurance contributions (NICs), or they died as a result of an industrial accident or disease

Credit Union – Death Benefit Insurance

If the deceased has been a saver in the Credit Union they may be eligble for the Credit Union’s Death Benefit Insurance (DBI).

Eligibility will depend on a number of factors:

They have joined the credit union before age 70 in good health or while actively and regularly carrying out their normal occupation or duties and,
They continue to be a member of the credit union and maintain the minimum amount of savings in their account as required by the credit union for inclusion in DBI.

It pays a fixed lump sum in the event of death and where death is as a result of an accident, the lump sum can be doubled. There are some terms and conditions to meet for inclusion and you should ask your credit union about these and the amount of DBI lump sum currently payable.

**Information accurate as of January 2026

Bereavement Support

Cruse Bereavement Support – Newry & Mourne – Contact local branch here

The Samaritans – Contact here

P.I.P.S. Support – Contact here