There are fears that thousands of unmarried parents whose partners have died will miss out on bereavement benefits as the window for retrospective applications closes. If a couple with children are married – or in a civil partnership – and one dies the surviving parent is able to claim bereavement support. Last year after years of campaigning by families and charities, that law was amended to give cohabiting couples bringing up grieving children the same right. From February 2023 unmarried couples have been able to claim the same bereavement benefits as those who are married –while the change …
