AEGON is issuing a new guide with all death claims packs to
help raise awareness of the financial support that may be available from the
state.
Grieving families could be missing out on thousands of
pounds of non means-tested state payments simply because people do not know
they are entitled to claim them.
The customer guide, ‘Financial support for difficult times'
outlines the two potential benefits available - bereavement payment and bereavement
allowance.
Bereavement payment is a tax-free lump sum payment of £2000.
To be entitled to claim this payment recipients must be under state pension age
and the deceased spouse or partner must have made National Insurance
contributions and not entitled to a Category A state retirement benefit when
they died.
Bereavement allowance is a taxable weekly benefit of up to
£100.70 per week paid for up to 52 weeks from the date of death. To be entitled
to this payment, recipients must be over age 45 (but under state pension age),
have no dependent children, and the deceased spouse or partner must have made
National Insurance contributions or died as a result of their job.
Matt Rann of AEGON says," By highlighting the benefits that
grieving families could be entitled to, we aim to help make this time as easy
as possible and relieve some of the strain. The existence of these benefits is
probably not common knowledge and for many, they could make a real difference
at the most difficult of times."
Life insurance news: 7 March 2012
