Bereavement benefits if you have children living with you

Claiming benefits for children living with you after you've been bereaved

If you are bereaved and have children living with you, you may be entitled to Child Benefit or Guardian’s Allowance.

Child Benefit

You can claim Child Benefit for dependent children living with you.  The child is someone up to age 16 or a young person aged 16-19 in full time education up to and including  A’ level equivalent. (The upper age can be extended to age 21 in some circumstances).  You will need to make a new claim if the deceased was the one claiming the Child Benefit.  Claims can be made online at HMRC, by post or by phone.  Child Benefit Helpline Telephone: 0300 200 3100

Guardian’s Allowance 

To get Guardian’s Allowance all of the following must apply:

• you’re bringing up someone else’s child
• the child’s parents are dead (see conditions for one surviving parent below)
• you qualify for Child Benefit

One of the parents must also have been either:

• born in the UK or a European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland
• living in the UK since the age of 16 for at least 52 weeks in any 2-year period

If you adopt a child you may still get Guardian’s Allowance as long as you were getting it before you adopted the child.

To request a claim form, call HMRC Guardian’s Allowance Unit.  Telephone:0300 322 9080