What about my own finances?
The death of the person you cared for may have an effect on your own financial situation and you may need to find out which benefits you can claim:
Carers Allowance and carer premium/addition
If you were receiving Carers Allowance when the person you cared for died, this will usually continue for eight weeks from the Sunday following their death. If you were receiving a carer premium as part of your Income Support or Pension Credit this will also continue for eight weeks.
If you were 65 or over and entitled to Invalid Care Allowance (as Carers Allowance was then called) on 27 October 2002, you will be entitled to Carer’s Allowance indefinitely.
Bereavement benefits
Bereavement benefits are not means tested, but they will be taken into account as income if you claim any means tested benefits.
A bereavement payment is a one off lump sum, tax free payment paid on the death of your spouse or civil partner. It is only payable if you are under state pension age when your spouse died, unless they were not entitled to a pension. There are also National Insurance Contribution conditions based on your spouse or civil partner’s contribution record, unless they died of an injury or disease due to work. You should claim this within 12 months of your spouse or civil partner’s death.
Bereavement Allowance is a regular taxable payment made if you were age 45 or over when your spouse or civil partner died. It is payable for 52 weeks. The amount you are paid relates to your age when your spouse or civil partner died but is only payable up to State Pension age and will be reduced if your spouse or civil partner’s National Insurance Contribution record was incomplete.
Widowed Parent’s Allowance is a regular taxable payment for people under pension age who have been bereaved and have dependent children (or for women if they are pregnant). If your spouse or civil partner met the National Insurance Contributions conditions the full rate is payable. If not, you receive a proportionately reduced amount of the allowance, unless they died of an injury or disease due to work.
Note: You cannot be paid a Widowed Parent’s Allowance and Bereavement Allowance at the same time. A Bereavement Payment can be paid in addition to Widowed Parent’s Allowance or
Bereavement Allowance.
To claim a bereavement benefit, download the appropriate claim forms on the GOV.UK website.
I am over State Pension age, can I still get bereavement benefits?
Widowed Parent’s Allowance and Bereavement Allowance cannot be paid beyond state pension age. When you reach state pension age, and if you have not remarried or formed a civil partnership, you will be entitled to a State Pension, if your late spouse/civil partner satisfied the National Insurance Contributions or died as a result of injury or disease due to work. You could qualify for a pension based on both your own National Insurance Contributions records and your spouse/civil partner’s record, if that would give you a higher state pension. For further details contact the Pension Service.
The person I was caring for was a council tenant and I had been living in the property with them. Does this mean I will be evicted now they have died?
If you are the husband, wife or civil partner of the person you cared for, you can inherit their tenancy. This takes priority over that of any of their relatives. Partners or other family members who lived in the property for at least 12 months will usually have the right to take over the tenancy and remain in the property. However, if the council considers the property unsuitable for you to live in (e.g. it is too big for your needs or it has had adaptations you do not need) they may ask you to move to another property. They must give you notice to leave between 6 and 12 months after the tenants death.
If you and the person you cared for were joint tenants, you will have the right to take over the tenancy yourself. Be aware that if you take over the tenancy completely, you could also inherit and have to pay back any rent arrears for the property.
If you are not certain if this applies to you, contact your local council.
My mother owned her house outright. I have been living with her and caring for her for the last few years, but the house has been left to me and my siblings - can they insist I move out?
If the property you live in is owned jointly by you and your siblings, and they are happy for you to carry on living there, there is no reason for you to move out. However, if your siblings wish to sell the property, you do not have the right to stay based on having cared for your mother, so it will be up to you to negotiate deferring the sale to allow you to continue living there.
If you are at risk of being homeless because of the sale of the property you have been living in, seek advice as soon as possible.
If you need advice about your housing situation, you could get in touch with Shelter.
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