Petition · past parliament · Department for Work and Pensions
Allow all parents of dependent children to access Bereavement Support Payment
Closed
239 signatures
What the petition asks
To ensure all dependent children who have lost a parent can benefit from this support, by extending this payment to non-cohabiting parents of dependent children, even if they were not married or in a civil partnership with the deceased.
Children in bereaved families should be supported, regardless of their parent's relationship.
My children’s lives suddenly changed forever, when aged 7 and 9, their father passed away. We don’t meet the BSP eligibility criteria, because we were divorced & not cohabitating at the time of death. We believe this is unjust and should be changed.
On top of supporting my children through their grief, I have the financial worry of supporting them alone. Children are entitled to receive maintenance from a non-resident parent and shouldn’t be excluded from financial support when a parent dies.
My children’s lives suddenly changed forever, when aged 7 and 9, their father passed away. We don’t meet the BSP eligibility criteria, because we were divorced & not cohabitating at the time of death. We believe this is unjust and should be changed.
On top of supporting my children through their grief, I have the financial worry of supporting them alone. Children are entitled to receive maintenance from a non-resident parent and shouldn’t be excluded from financial support when a parent dies.
Timeline
| 19 May 2023 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 19 Nov 2023 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
239
Status
Closed
Department
Department for Work and Pensions
Opened
19 May 2023
Closed
19 Nov 2023
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.