SA29. Your social security insurance, benefits and healthcare rights in the European Economic Area
Benefits
22. Bereavement benefits and widows’ benefits’
From 9 April 2001, the bereavement benefit scheme has operated. Bereavement benefits are available to men and women and are based on the National Insurance contribution record of their late spouse or civil partner. Women who were already receiving Widow's Benefit before that date will continue to do so for as long as they satisfy the qualifying conditions.
If your spouse or civil partner dies when you are in one EEA country but he or she was insured in another EEA country, you may claim widows' benefits or bereavement benefits in either of the countries. If you claim in the EEA country where you live, that country will pass details of your claim to any other EEA country where you or your late spouse or civil partner have been insured.
UK widows' benefits or bereavement benefits are payable in another EEA country at the same rate as if you were living in the UK. In the same way, if you can get benefits from another EEA country, you will get the same rate in the UK as you would if you were in that country.
If your late spouse or civil partner did not pay enough insurance contributions in the UK for you to get UK Bereavement Benefit, we may use their foreign insurance contributions in a similar way as a person's insurance contributions may be used for State Pension. The section How your claim is worked out under State Pension tells you about this.
In the same way, if your late spouse did not have enough insurance contributions in another EEA country for that country to pay you their Bereavement Benefit, the authorities there may use your late spouse's or civil partner's UK insurance contributions to work out if you can get their benefits.
Benefits for children of workers who have died
There are special rules about benefits for children of someone who has died. If you have been bereaved and your late spouse or civil partner was insured only in one EEA country, that country pays the benefits for a child. It will work out what the benefits are using its own rules under its own scheme. They may be child benefits, orphan's pension or extra widow's pension, or some of each.
If your late spouse or civil partner was insured in more than one EEA country, it will usually be the country where the child lives that pays the benefits. But your late spouse or civil partner must have been insured in that country, and there must be some benefit to be paid for the child.
If your late spouse or civil partner was not insured in the country where the child usually lives, or that country cannot pay any child benefits, the EEA country where your spouse or civil partner was insured for the longest period has to pay the child's benefits.
Other EEA countries may use your late spouse's or civil partner's insurance when they work out if you can get benefit for the child.