'Bereaved families need better financial support'

A widow who said her household income dropped by three-quarters after the sudden death of her husband has called for better financial support for bereaved families.

Caroline Booth, from Halifax, said she was "stunned" to find that bereavement support payments (BSP) only lasted for 18 months and they were "shockingly inadequate".

She has started a petition that calls on government to extend the payments and to link them to the cost of living.

The government said BSP provided short-term support, while other benefits were available if longer-term income support was needed.

Caroline's husband Steve died died from bowel cancer in May at the age of 52.

"Life just changed overnight, completely," the 45-year-old said.

In addition to her grief, Caroline found she was left to support herself and her two sons on a greatly reduced income.

"I had worked my whole life to build my career up and I had to walk away from it to care for him," she said.

"Now I work, work, work - I work all the time. It's really, really tough, I feel like I have to remain strong for the kids."

BSP payments can be claimed by a spouse or partner following the death of a loved one and people can receive an initial payment of £3,500, followed by 18 monthly payments of £350 totalling £6,300.

The support is not means-tested, payments are not taxed and can be paid in addition to other benefits.

BSP payments have not risen since they were introduced in 2017. Campaigners said they wanted to see the support extended until the youngest child reached the age of 18.

Cheryl Blenkinsop, from York, lost her husband Mike - who she described as the "breadwinner" of the family - three years ago at the age of 41.

"My daughter is now 11 and she has separation anxiety," Cheryl said.

"Losing her dad so suddenly, she's all of a sudden got to the age where she understands 'what if mummy disappears?' and I think that frightens her."

Cheryl, 53, said she now relied on part-time work, Universal Credit and help from parents after the BSP support stopped.

She said she had been unable to support her children properly through their grief as a result.

"Eighteen months is not where it ends - in fact, in my situation I'm three years on and things are really hard, more difficult now than they were," she said.

"In my opinion, it's a disgrace that 18 months is what people think a widow or widower needs to support them, it's so bad, so wrong."

Charity Widowed and Young has also campaigned for changes to BSP.

It said that a survey of members suggested that 65% of parents were "struggling to make ends meet".

A spokesperson said: "It's really difficult when you're doing everything on your own, juggling childcare and other issues, just to get that support for your children."

A Department for Work and Pensions spokesperson said they understood the "financial impact" losing a loved on could have on families.

"Bereavement support payments provides short term financial support, with higher amounts paid for those with children," they said.

"Where longer-term income support is needed, individuals can look to benefits such as Universal Credit, which have been specifically designed to provide ongoing assistance with living costs."

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