Bereavement benefits in social security agreement countries
The following countries have arrangements for the payment of bereavement benefits and widows' benefits:
- Barbados
- Bermuda
- Israel
- Jamaica
- Jersey and Guernsey
- Mauritius
- New Zealand
- Philippines
- Republics of the former Yugoslavia
- Turkey
- USA
Bereavement and widows' benefits in Barbados
How bereavement benefits, widows' benefits or survivor's benefits from one country are paid if you live in the other
UK bereavement benefits or widows' benefits are payable in Barbados at the same rate as if you were living in the UK.
You will get the same rate of Barbadian Survivor's Benefit in the UK as you would if you were in Barbados.
If UK Bereavement Benefit or Widow's Benefit would be payable if a qualifying child were in the UK, it will be paid if the child is in Barbados.
If your husband or wife was insured under the insurance schemes of both the UK and Barbados
If your husband, wife or civil partner did not pay enough contributions in the UK for you to get a UK Bereavement Benefit or Widow's Benefit, we may use their Barbadian insurance in a similar way as a person's insurance may be used for State Pension.
If your husband or wife did not pay enough insurance in Barbados for you to get Barbadian Survivor's Benefit, the Barbados authorities may use their UK contributions.
Bereavement and widows' benefits in Bermuda
How bereavement benefits, widows' benefits or survivor's benefits from one country are paid if you live in the other
UK bereavement benefits or widows' benefits are payable in Bermuda at the same rate as if you were living in the UK, provided you are ordinarily resident in Bermuda.
You will get the same rate of Bermudan Widow's Benefit in the UK as you would if you were in Bermuda.
If UK Bereavement Benefit or Widow's Benefit would be payable if a qualifying child were in the UK, it will be paid if the child is in Bermuda.
In the same way, if Bermudan Widow's Benefit would be payable if a qualifying child were in Bermuda, it will be paid if the child is in the UK.
If your husband, wife or civil partner was insured under the insurance schemes of both the UK and Bermuda
If your husband, wife or civil partner did not pay enough contributions in the UK for you to get a UK Bereavement Benefit, we may use their Bermudan insurance in a similar way as a person's insurance may be used for State Pension.
Bereavement and widows' benefits in Israel
How bereavement benefits, widows' benefits or survivor's benefits from one country are paid if you live in the other
UK bereavement benefits or widows' benefits are payable in Israel at the same rate as if you were living in the UK. Please see Definitions for the note about Israeli territory.
You will get the same rate of Israeli Survivor's Benefit in the UK as you would if you were in Israel.
If UK Bereavement Benefit or Widow's Benefit would be payable if a qualifying child were in the UK, it will be paid if the child is in Israel.
In the same way, if Israeli Survivor's Benefit would be payable if a qualifying child were in Israel, it will be paid if the child is in the UK.
If your husband, wife or civil partner was insured under the insurance schemes of both the UK and Israel
If your husband, wife or civil partner did not pay enough contributions in the UK for you to get a UK Bereavement Benefit, we may use their Israeli insurance in a similar way as a person's insurance may be used for State Pension.
If your husband or wife did not pay enough insurance in Israel for you to get Israeli Survivor's Benefit, the Israeli authorities may use their UK contributions from 1 April 1954. But you and your spouse must have been resident in Israel or the UK immediately before becoming entitled to an Israeli pension and there are other conditions to be satisfied under the Israeli scheme. You should contact the Israeli authorities for more information. See Addresses for enquiries about contributions and benefits.
Bereavement and widows' benefits in Jamaica
How bereavement benefits, widows' benefits or survivors' benefits from one country are paid if you live in the other
Since October 1972, UK Widow's Benefit beneficiaries living in Jamaica have been getting the same rates as Widow's Benefit beneficiaries living in the UK. The agreement continues this, but it does not provide for payment of increases before October 1972.
If you live in the UK and you get a Jamaican survivor's pension, or start to get a Jamaican survivor's pension, you will get the same rate of Jamaican survivor's pension as you would if you were in Jamaica.
If UK Bereavement Benefit or Widow's Benefit would be payable if a qualifying child were in the UK, it will be paid if the child is in Jamaica.
In the same way, if Jamaican survivor's benefit would be payable if a qualifying child were in Jamaica, it will be paid if the child is in the UK.
If your husband, wife or civil partner was insured under the insurance schemes of both the UK and Jamaica
If your husband, wife or civil partner did not pay enough contributions in the UK for you to get a UK Bereavement Benefit, we may use their Jamaican insurance in a similar way as a person's insurance may be used for State Pension.
In the same way, if Jersey or Guernsey Widow's Benefit would be payable if a qualifying child were in Jersey or Guernsey, it will be paid if the child is in the UK.
Bereavement and widows' benefits in Jersey and Guernsey
How bereavement benefits or widows' benefits from one country are paid if you live in the other
UK bereavement benefits or widows' benefits are payable in Jersey or Guernsey at the same rate as if you were living in the UK. Jersey pays Widow's Benefit to men and women, while Guernsey only pays to women. You will get the same rate of Jersey or Guernsey Widow's Benefit in the UK as you would if you were in Jersey or Guernsey.
If UK Bereavement Benefit or Widow's Benefit would be payable if a qualifying child were in the UK, it will be paid if the child is in Jersey or Guernsey.
In the same way, if Jersey or Guernsey Widow's Benefit would be payable if a qualifying child were in Jersey or Guernsey, it will be paid if the child is in the UK.
If your husband, wife or civil partner was insured under the insurance schemes of both the UK and Jersey or Guernsey
If your husband, wife or civil partner did not pay enough contributions in the UK for you to get a UK Bereavement Benefit, we may use their Jersey or Guernsey insurance in a similar way as a person's insurance may be used for State Pension.
If your husband (or wife, in Jersey) did not pay enough insurance in Jersey or Guernsey for you to get a Jersey or Guernsey Widow's Benefit, the Jersey or Guernsey authorities may use their UK contributions.
Bereavement and widows' benefits in Mauritius
How bereavement benefits, widows' benefits or survivor's benefits from one country are paid if you live in the other
UK bereavement benefits or widows' benefits are payable in Mauritius at the same rate as if you were living in the UK.
You will get the same rate of Mauritian Survivor's Benefit in the UK as you would if you were in Mauritius.
If UK Bereavement Benefit or Widow's Benefit would be payable if a qualifying child were in the UK, it will be paid if the child is in Mauritius.
If your husband, wife or civil partner was insured under the insurance schemes of both the UK and Mauritius
If your husband, wife or civil partner did not pay enough contributions in the UK for you to get a UK Bereavement Benefit, we may use their Mauritian residence in a similar way as a person's residence may be used for State Pension.
If your husband did not pay enough contributions in Mauritius for you to get Mauritian Widow's Benefit, the Mauritian authorities may use his UK contributions.
Bereavement and widows' benefits in New Zealand
How UK bereavement benefits or widows' benefits are paid in New Zealand
UK bereavement benefits or widows' benefits are normally payable in New Zealand, but you will not get annual increases in the benefit once you have ceased to be ordinarily resident in the UK. This means that your benefit will stay at the same rate as when you left the UK, or when you first qualified for the benefit if you were already living in New Zealand at the time.
How UK bereavement benefits can be increased while you are in the UK
If you are living in the UK when you make your claim, any time your husband, wife or civil partner lived in New Zealand between the age of 16 and before pension age will be treated as a period for which UK contributions were paid.
If you are a widow and the residence provisions above do not allow you to get a standard rate of UK Widowed Parent's Allowance or Bereavement Allowance, you will be entitled to receive the standard rate if you were getting a widow's benefit when you were last in New Zealand, if it was awarded solely under the New Zealand scheme. You will be able to receive either:
- UK Widowed Parent's Allowance (WPA); or
- UK Bereavement Allowance if you are not entitled to WPA, but had reached the age of 45 either before you last left New Zealand or when you ceased to be entitled to WPA and this is within 52 weeks of your husband's death; or
- State Pension if you have reached State Pension age.
If you cease to be resident in the UK, any pension awarded under the agreement will no longer be payable. But benefit can sometimes be paid for periods of temporary absence from the UK.
Bereavement and widows' benefits in the Philippines
How bereavement benefits, widows' benefits or survivor's benefits from one country are paid if you live in the other
UK bereavement benefits or widows' benefits are payable in the Philippines at the same rate as if you were living in the UK.
You will get the same rate of Philippine Survivor's Benefit in the UK as you would if you were in the Philippines.
If UK Bereavement Benefit or Widow's Benefit would be payable if a qualifying child were in the UK, it will be paid if the child is in the Philippines.
In the same way, if Philippine Survivor's Benefit would be payable if a qualifying child were in the Philippines, it will be paid if the child is in the UK.
If your husband, wife or civil partner was insured under the insurance schemes of both the UK and the Philippines
If your husband, wife or civil partner did not pay enough contributions in the UK for you to get a UK Bereavement Benefit, we may use their Philippine insurance in a similar way as a person's insurance may be used for State Pension.
If your husband or wife did not pay enough insurance in the Philippines for you to get Philippine Survivor's Benefit, the Philippine authorities may use their UK contributions.
Bereavement and widows' benefits in the Republics of the former Yugoslavia
How bereavement benefits, widows' benefits or survivor's benefits from one country are paid if you live in the other
UK bereavement benefits or widows' benefits are payable in the Republic at the same rate as if you were living in the UK.
You will get the same rate of the Republic's Survivor's Benefit, and benefits for surviving dependants, in the UK as you would if you were in the Republic.
If you are entitled to a Widow's Benefit in respect of a death due to an industrial accident or disease, for a child who is in the UK, or was in the UK at the time the person in question died, you can continue to be paid the benefit when the child is in the Republic, or even if the child was in the Republic when the person in question died.
If your husband, wife or civil partner was insured under the insurance schemes of both the UK and the Republic
If your husband, wife or civil partner was at different times insured under both the UK and the Republic's schemes, your UK Bereavement Benefit will be calculated in the same way as for State Pension.
Bereavement and widows' benefits in Turkey
How bereavement benefits, widows' benefits or survivors' benefits from one country are paid if you live in the other
UK bereavement benefits or widows' benefits are payable in Turkey at the same rate as if you were living in the UK.
You will get the same rate of Turkish Survivors' Benefit in the UK as you would if you were in Turkey.
If UK Bereavement Benefit or Widow's Benefit would be payable if a qualifying child were in the UK, it will be paid if the child is in Turkey.
If your husband, wife or civil partner was insured under the insurance schemes of both the UK and Turkey
If your husband, wife or civil partner was at different times insured under both the UK and Turkish schemes, their insurance under both schemes may be used in a similar way as a person's contributions may be used for State Pension.
If you are a widow, the Turkish authorities will combine your husband's UK insurance with his Turkish insurance in the same way for Turkish Survivor's Benefit.
Bereavement and widows' benefits in the USA
How bereavement benefits, widows' benefits or survivor's benefits from one country are paid if you live in the other
If you are ordinarily resident in the USA, UK bereavement benefits or widows' benefits are payable at the same rate as if you were living in the UK. If, however, you live in a country where your UK benefit is paid at a frozen rate, your benefit will not increase during a temporary visit to the USA.
If you are resident in the UK, you will get the same rate of US Widow's Benefit in the UK as you would if you were in the USA.
If your husband, wife or civil partner was insured under the insurance schemes of both the UK and the USA
If your husband, wife or civil partner did not pay enough contributions in the UK for you to get a UK Bereavement Benefit, we may use their US insurance in a similar way as a person's insurance may be used for State Pension.
If your husband or wife did not pay enough insurance in the USA for you to get USA Survivor's Benefit, the US authorities may use their UK contributions, providing they had completed at least six quarters of coverage under the US scheme.
