Review Bereavement Support Payment so children who lose a legal parent are not left without help. Bereaved children should be supported in their own right regardless of their parents’ relationship status or who the deceased lived with.

My partner died suddenly under tragic circumstances. Although we were in a loving, committed relationship, because we did not live together neither I nor our children received bereavement support payment. My partner contributed substantially to their upbringing. Upon his death this financial contribution vanished. Our experience shows why bereavement support must focus on children, so no family faces financial hardship alongside such a devastating loss.