Farra is a death administration assistant for UK families. Get step-by-step guidance for registering a death, applying for probate, notifying banks, and managing bereavement admin. From essential documents to practical checklists, Farra simplifies estate paperwork and funeral-related tasks so you can focus on what matters.
The State Pension stops immediately on the date of death. DWP must be notified as soon as possible — ideally through the Tell Us Once service at death registration — and any overpayments will be recovered from the estate. Surviving spouses and civil partners may be able to inherit a portion of the deceased's State Pension and should also check eligibility for Bereavement Support Payment.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) needs to know about the death so it can stop the State Pension and calculate any final payments or overpayments. There are two main ways to notify them:
It is important to act quickly. The State Pension is usually paid every four weeks in arrears — that is, for the four weeks just gone rather than the four weeks ahead. That does not prevent an overpayment: a payment made after the death will cover some days that fall after it. If DWP is not notified promptly, payments may continue to be deposited into the deceased's bank account after the date of death.
Important
Do not spend any State Pension payments received after the date of death. These are overpayments and DWP will recover them from the estate. If the bank account has been frozen, the bank will usually return the payments directly to DWP. If the money has already been withdrawn, the executor must repay it.
The State Pension is payable up to and including the date of death. Any amount covering a period after the date of death is an overpayment. DWP will calculate the exact overpayment and write to the executor or next of kin to request repayment.
The way the overpayment is calculated depends on the payment cycle:
Conversely, there may be State Pension that was due but not yet paid at the date of death. For example, if the deceased died two weeks into a four-week payment cycle, they are entitled to those two weeks of pension. DWP will pay this to the estate as a final payment. The executor should check with the Pension Service to ensure any outstanding amount is paid.
A State Pension overpayment is an ordinary unsecured debt of the estate — it does not rank ahead of the estate's other unsecured debts. GOV.UK confirms that DWP can recover benefit overpayments from a person's estate, and warns executors not to distribute the estate before they know what has to be repaid, because they may otherwise have to pay it back themselves. If DWP is not given the information it asks for, it says it will calculate the overpayment against the whole probate figure.
Whether a surviving spouse or civil partner can inherit any of the deceased's State Pension depends on which pension system the deceased was under and when they reached State Pension age. The rules are different for the old State Pension and the new State Pension.
Old State Pension (reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016):
New State Pension (reached State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016):
Get a personalised calculation
The rules on inherited State Pension depend on individual National Insurance records, dates of birth, and which pension system applied. Contact the Pension Service on 0800 731 0469 and ask for a calculation of what the surviving spouse can inherit. Note also that inheriting Additional State Pension is lost if the survivor remarries or forms a new civil partnership before reaching State Pension age.
It is worth noting that cohabiting partners (unmarried couples) have no right to inherit State Pension, regardless of how long they lived together. This right is limited to married spouses and civil partners.
Bereavement Support Payment (BSP) is a tax-free benefit for surviving partners. It replaced the old Bereavement Allowance, Bereavement Payment and Widowed Parent's Allowance for deaths on or after 6 April 2017.
To qualify for BSP, you must meet all of the following conditions:
BSP consists of two parts:
GOV.UK gives the higher rate as a one-off payment of £3,500 followed by 18 monthly payments of £350, and the lower rate as £2,500 followed by 18 monthly payments of £100. These figures have not changed since the benefit was introduced in 2017, so do not assume they rise each year — check gov.uk before relying on them. The higher rate applies if you were pregnant when your partner died or were entitled to Child Benefit; the lower rate applies otherwise.
Claim within 3 months
There are three different cut-offs, and they are often run together. Claim within 3 months of the death and you get the one-off payment and all 18 monthly payments. Claim later and you lose one monthly payment for each month you waited. Claim more than 12 months after the death and you lose the one-off payment altogether. Claim more than 21 months after the death and you normally get nothing.
BSP is not means-tested — your savings, other income and whether you are working do not affect your eligibility. It is tax-free and is not counted as income for means-tested benefits such as Universal Credit. Money from it that you still hold does count as capital in the normal way, so a large balance can affect a means-tested award.
You can claim BSP online at gov.uk or by calling the DWP Bereavement Service on 0800 151 2012. You will need the deceased's National Insurance number, date of death, and your own bank details for payment.
If the deceased and their partner were receiving Pension Credit as a couple, the death changes the basis of the award. GOV.UK lists "the death of a partner who is named on your claim" as a change of circumstances to report on the existing claim, not as a reason to start a new one.
Report it to the Pension Service on 0800 731 0469. DWP will then reassess entitlement on a single-person basis, using the surviving partner's own income, capital and housing costs.
The Guarantee Credit standard minimum guarantee tops weekly income up to £238.00 for a single person and £363.25 for a couple. Losing the couple rate will usually reduce the award, though not always by the full difference, because the deceased's income no longer counts either. Pension Credit has no upper capital limit: capital of £10,000 or less is ignored, and above that DWP treats every £500 (or part of £500) as producing £1 a week of income.
Some benefits do have a bereavement run-on — Universal Credit continues to be calculated as if the person had not died for the assessment period of the death and the following two. GOV.UK does not publish an equivalent run-on for Pension Credit, so do not budget for one; ask the Pension Service what will actually be paid and from when.
Other benefits to check
If the surviving partner receives other means-tested benefits — such as Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction, or Universal Credit — these will also need to be reassessed following the death. Changes in income, savings, and household composition can all affect entitlement. Contact each benefit provider promptly to avoid overpayments or gaps in support. Our guide on notifying DWP of a death covers the full range of benefits that may be affected.
These guides cover related topics that may help you navigate benefits and financial matters after a death: