State Pension After Death: Notify DWP and What Survivors Can Claim

Notifying DWP of the death

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:

• Tell Us Once: This is the easiest and most efficient method. When you register the death at the register office, the registrar will offer the Tell Us Once service, which notifies multiple government departments simultaneously — including DWP, HMRC, DVLA, the passport office, and the local council. One notification covers them all.
• Call the Pension Service: If you did not use Tell Us Once, or want to confirm that DWP has been notified, call the Pension Service directly on 0800 731 0469 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm). You will need the deceased's full name, date of birth, date of death, National Insurance number, and pension reference number if you have it.

It is important to act quickly. The State Pension is paid in arrears (covering a past period), but payments are scheduled on a regular cycle — every four weeks or every week, depending on the individual's payment schedule. If DWP is not notified promptly, payments may continue to be deposited into the deceased's bank account after the date of death.

Stopping the State Pension and avoiding overpayments

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:

• If the deceased was paid every four weeks and died partway through a payment period, DWP will calculate the daily rate and recover the portion that covers the days after death.
• If a full payment was made after the date of death (for example, the death occurred just before the scheduled payment date), the entire payment may need to be returned.

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.

Overpayments of State Pension are treated as a priority debt of the estate. DWP has the legal right to recover them and will do so from the estate's assets before other distributions are made.

Inheriting State Pension as a surviving spouse

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):

• The surviving spouse may inherit up to 50% of the Additional State Pension (also known as SERPS or S2P) that the deceased had built up. The exact percentage depends on the deceased's date of birth.
• The surviving spouse may also inherit 100% of any Graduated Retirement Benefit — an older form of additional pension based on contributions between 1961 and 1975.
• If the surviving spouse has not yet reached State Pension age, they may be able to use the deceased's National Insurance record to boost their own basic State Pension when they retire.

New State Pension (reached State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016):

• Inheritance is more limited under the new system. The surviving spouse may inherit a portion of the deceased's protected payment — this is any amount above the full new State Pension rate that was protected when the deceased transitioned to the new system.
• The surviving spouse inherits 50% of the protected payment amount (or the full amount if the deceased died before reaching State Pension age, in some circumstances).
• The basic new State Pension itself cannot be inherited — only the protected payment element.

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

Bereavement Support Payment (BSP) is a tax-free benefit available to surviving spouses and civil 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:

• Your spouse or civil partner has died (BSP is not available to cohabiting partners)
• You were under State Pension age at the time of your partner's death
• Your partner had paid sufficient National Insurance contributions (at least 25 weeks of contributions in any one tax year since 1975)
• You are not currently in a new marriage or civil partnership

BSP consists of two parts:

• A lump sum payment — paid as a single amount shortly after your claim is approved
• Monthly payments — paid for up to 18 months from the date of death

The exact amounts are set by the government and reviewed annually. Check gov.uk for current rates, as they change each tax year. There are two rates — a higher rate for those with dependent children and a standard rate for those without.

BSP is not means-tested — your savings, other income, and whether you are working do not affect your eligibility. It is also tax-free and does not count as income for Universal Credit or other benefit calculations.

You can claim BSP online at gov.uk or by calling the DWP Bereavement Service on 0800 731 0469. You will need the deceased's National Insurance number, date of death, and your own bank details for payment.

Pension Credit after a death

If the deceased and their partner were receiving Pension Credit as a couple, the surviving partner's entitlement changes immediately on the date of death. Pension Credit for couples is calculated based on joint income and savings. When one partner dies, the calculation switches to a single-person basis.

The surviving partner should contact the Pension Service (0800 731 0469) to report the change. DWP will:

• Stop the couple's Pension Credit award
• Assess the surviving partner's eligibility for Pension Credit as a single person
• Calculate a new award based on the surviving partner's individual income, savings, and housing costs

The single-person Pension Credit rate is lower than the couple rate, but the savings threshold for eligibility is also lower. The surviving partner may find their entitlement changes significantly. In some cases, inheriting the deceased's savings or pension could push the surviving partner over the capital limit and affect their eligibility.

There is typically a 12-week "bereavement run-on" for some benefits, during which the couple rate continues to be paid. However, the exact rules for Pension Credit vary, so it is important to contact DWP to understand what applies in your specific situation.

Related guides

These guides cover related topics that may help you navigate benefits and financial matters after a death:

• How to Notify DWP of a Death — a complete guide to notifying the Department for Work and Pensions
• Tell Us Once Service — how to notify multiple government departments in a single step
• Spouse Died: What to Do in the UK — practical guidance for surviving spouses covering finances, legal matters, and support
• Inheritance Tax UK 2026/27 Guide — understanding how inherited pension rights interact with IHT