What financial supports and entitlements are available following a death?

AFTER a bereavement, you may need financial support. The Department of Social Protection (DSP) provides certain once-off payments to help out families during this difficult time. Your local Community Welfare Officer deals with some of these payments.

You must have made a certain number of PRSI contributions to be eligible for some social welfare payments. You may be eligible for other payments, if you pass a means test or if you are in urgent need. Time limits apply for many payments, so apply as early as is possible.

You cannot be expected to do everything right away, but if the deceased was getting a social welfare payment or you were claiming for them as a dependant or you were getting a Carer’s Allowance to look after them, it’s important that you notify the Department within the first few days of the death.

Notifying the Department does not mean the payment will be taken back immediately.

In many cases, the spouse, civil partner, cohabitant, parent or carer may continue to receive a payment for six weeks following the death.

What happens when a person being cared for dies and carer was in receipt of Carers Benefit/Allowance?

Payment of Carer’s Allowance (full or half-rate) continues to be made for 12 weeks after the death of the person you were caring for while payment of Carer’s Benefit continues to be made for six weeks after the death of the person you were caring for.

If you are getting Carer’s Allowance (full or half-rate) on behalf of a spouse, civil partner or cohabitant and that person dies, you can continue to get Carer’s Allowance for 12 weeks plus the State Pension/Invalidity Pension/Disability Allowance etc (if in payment to that person) for 6 weeks after the date of death. If you were getting Carer’s Benefit, you continue to get it for 6 weeks and any payments your spouse or partner was getting.

Domiciliary Care Allowance continues to be paid for 3 months in cases where the child being cared for has died.

Is there any help available with funeral costs?

You can get help with the cost of the funeral in certain circumstances. The Widowed or Surviving Civil Partner Grant is a once-off payment to widows/widowers/surviving civil partners with dependent children. This grant is a once-off payment of €8,000.

If someone dies from an accident at work, a Funeral Grant is available. To be eligible for this grant, the death must have resulted from an accident at work, an accident while travelling directly to or from work or an occupational disease. It amounts to €850.

Whether you qualify or not for one of the above grants you may be eligible for an Additional Needs Payment to help with funeral costs if you are on a low income. Each case is decided on its merits. The Community Welfare Service prefers if you apply before the funeral takes place, but in practice, most people apply afterwards.

In many cases a payment or a grant cannot be paid until all the necessary documentation is received. 

If you are claiming the grant, you are responsible for the production of certificates, documents and any information required, for example:

Death certificate

Birth certificate

Marriage or Civil Partnership certificate (to prove your relationship to the deceased)

Funeral receipts

The deceased person’s Personal Public Service (PPS) number

Your PPS number may also be required

What social welfare payments are available to the bereaved?

If you were living with or dependent on the deceased, any current benefits or payments you are getting may change, or you may be able to claim additional benefits. Depending on your income and circumstances you may be entitled to a social welfare payment in your own right. A Widow’s, Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner’s Contributory Pension and related social welfare benefits may be payable if either you or your deceased spouse or civil partner has enough PRSI contributions.

A Widow’s, Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner’s (Non-Contributory) Pension is paid to widowed people or surviving civil partners without dependent children, who do not qualify for a contributory pension and who pass a means test.

A Guardian’s payment is paid to the child’s guardian up to the child’s 18th birthday or 22nd birthday if he or she is in full-time education.

A One-Parent Family Payment can be paid to you if you are parenting alone as a result of the death of your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant.

If you also qualify for a Widow’s, Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner’s Contributory Pension you will have to choose which payment is of most benefit to you because you cannot get both.

If a person dies because of an accident at work or occupational disease, Death Benefit under the Occupational Injuries Scheme may be paid to their surviving spouse or civil partner.

Are there any other additional payments?

Bereavement can cause financial difficulties. The Supplementary Welfare Allowance Scheme provides financial support to people with low incomes. You may qualify for a weekly supplement payment under the scheme to meet certain special needs, for example, help with rent and fuel costs. In addition, payments can also be made for urgent or exceptional needs.

There are specific rules about taxation in the year of a person’s death, for example, a tax refund may be due. There are also extra credits for parents in the years following the death of a spouse or civil partner. If you are a widowed person or a surviving civil partner, you can claim an increased personal tax credit. The amount of the credit depends on whether or not you have dependent children and when your spouse or civil partner died.

Telephone lines for South Munster Citizens Information in Cork city are monitored from 10am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday. In addition, the Cork City Centre CIC in Cornmarket Street is open to the public Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, from 9.45am to 1pm and Wednesdays from 2pm to 4.30pm. The Blackpool CIC is open to the public each morning from 10am to 4pm, Tuesday and Thursday. Full details for all Citizens Information Centres and their opening times are available on the citizens information website.