Bereavement Benefits Statistics UK: The Numbers

At September 2025 there were around 47,000 people receiving Bereavement Support Payment (BSP) across Great Britain, the main benefit for working-age people whose spouse, civil partner or cohabiting partner has died (DWP benefit statistics, February 2026, subject to change).

This page pulls together the official numbers on bereavement benefits in the UK: how many people receive BSP, how the caseload has changed, what recipients are paid, and how that sits against wider data on deaths and the cost of dying. Every figure is dated and linked to its primary source. Bereavement benefits are separate from inheritance tax and probate, which we cover in our estate planning guide. Figures are current as at July 2026 and are subject to change.

Key figures at a glance

The headline numbers below come from named official statistics: the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for benefit caseloads and rates, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) for deaths registered, and gov.uk for current BSP amounts. One clearly-attributed industry figure from the SunLife Cost of Dying report is included for cost context. Each row carries its own source and reference period.

Percentages are as reported by DWP and may not sum exactly due to rounding. Figures are current as at July 2026 and subject to change.

What recipients are paid

BSP is paid as a one-off first payment followed by up to 18 monthly instalments, at either a higher or a standard rate. The higher rate is a first payment of £3,500 and 18 monthly payments of £350; the standard rate is a first payment of £2,500 and 18 monthly payments of £100 (gov.uk, as at July 2026, subject to change). To receive the full amount, a claim generally needs to be made within three months of the death.

Source: gov.uk/bereavement-support-payment, as at July 2026, subject to change. BSP does not affect other benefits for a year after the first payment; eligibility and amounts depend on individual circumstances.

Bereavement in wider UK data

Bereavement benefits sit against a much larger backdrop. There were 568,613 deaths registered in England and Wales in 2024, a fall of 2.2% on the 581,363 registered in 2023 (ONS, published October 2025, subject to change). Only a minority of those bereaved are of working age with a partner and dependent children, which helps explain why the BSP caseload is far smaller than the number of deaths.

Cost is part of the picture too. As a clearly-attributed industry estimate, the SunLife Cost of Dying 2026 report put the average simple attended funeral at £3,828, rising to about £5,140 once a typical send-off is included (SunLife Cost of Dying 2026). That figure is a commercial survey rather than an official statistic, so it is best read as an indicator. Practical steps after a death are set out in our guide to what to do after someone dies.

Sources and methodology

Every figure on this page is drawn from a named official statistics source or, where flagged, a clearly-attributed industry report, and is linked at its point of use. Official statistics carry their own definitions and rounding conventions; caseload figures are rounded by DWP and percentages may not sum to 100. Figures are current as at July 2026 and subject to change.

• DWP benefit statistics, February 2026 (BSP caseload at September 2025, rate split, and April 2021 peak): gov.uk.
• BSP background information and methodology (2023 eligibility extension to cohabiting parents): gov.uk.
• Bereavement Support Payment: what you'll get (current higher and standard rates): gov.uk.
• ONS, Deaths registration summary tables, England and Wales, 2024 (deaths registered 2024 and 2023): ons.gov.uk, published October 2025.
• SunLife Cost of Dying 2026 (secondary industry estimate of funeral costs): sunlife.co.uk.

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