Supports to access when a loved one dies

Bereavement can be overwhelming and it can be a confusing time for people as there are a lot of things to consider.

You may need financial support, and the Department of Social Protection (DSP) provides certain once-off payments to help out families during this difficult time.

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 are in urgent need. Time limits apply for many payments, so apply as early as is possible. There are also issues relating to notifying the department re payments and also registering the death.

Funerals can be expensive. Is there support available to help with the costs?

You can get help with the cost of the funeral in specific situations. These are as follows:

The Widowed or Surviving Civil Partner Grant, a once-off payment of €8,000 to widows/widowers/surviving civil partners with dependent children.

If someone dies from an accident at work, a Funeral Grant of €850 is available. The death must have resulted from an accident at work; an accident while travelling directly to or from work; or an occupational disease. The person must have paid a minimum of one week’s PRSI.

Whether you qualify or not for one of these 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, but in practice, most people apply afterwards.

In many cases, a payment or a grant cannot be paid until all necessary documentation is received. If you are claiming the grant, you are responsible for the production of certificates, documents and any information required, such as birth and death certificates, marriage or civil partnership certificate (to prove your relationship to the deceased), funeral receipts, and the deceased person’s PPS number. Your own PPS number may also be required.

What do you need to do if the deceased person was in receipt of a social welfare payment?

When someone getting a social welfare payment dies, their spouse, civil partner or cohabitant may get six weeks of this payment after the death, paid at the same weekly rate your late spouse, civil partner or cohabitant was getting. Examples include State Pensions contributory & non-contributory, Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension and Carers Allowance/Carers Benefit. Contact your local CIC for a full list of payment. To qualify, your spouse’s, civil partner’s or cohabitant’s social welfare payment must have included a payment for you (an Increase for a Qualified Adult) or you must have been getting one of the payments listed above in your own right.

In all cases, you must inform the Department of Social Protection of the death of the person claiming the payment. To apply for a payment after a death, you should contact the section responsible for the payment within the Department as soon as possible after the death. Enclose the death certificate (if available) or a death notice from a newspaper with your application. A cheque will be sent to you. You should keep your own record of the pension claim or reference number for future reference.

What happens if you are a carer and the person being cared for dies?

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. Payment of Carer’s Benefit continues to be made for six weeks after the death occurs.

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 any of the payments mentioned earlier (if in payment to that person) for six weeks after the date of death. If you were getting Carer’s Benefit, you continue to get it for six weeks and any payments to your spouse or partner.

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

What do you need to register the death?

You must bring a Death Notification Form stating cause of death to a civil registration office. You get the form from the doctor who attended the person who died. You must complete Part 2 of the form and take it to the registry office, and bring photo ID with you. The registration is free. You will need some personal details of the person who died, including their PPS number and their parents’ names.

You should register the death within three months of the date the person died. However, you have up to 12 months to register it. After this, will need to contact the General Register Office.

If you are waiting for an inquest or post-mortem to be carried out, you can get an Interim Certificate of the Fact of Death from the Coroner Service. Use this to inform institutions like banks, insurance companies and the Department of Social Protection of the death.

Where do you get a copy of the death certificate?

You can get copies from the registration office when you are registering the death. To get a copy at a later stage, go directly to any civil registration office. You do not have to order a death certificate from a service in the area the death took place. You can also apply for a death certificate online, in person at a registry office, by emailing a completed form to GROonlinepayments@welfare.ie or by phone.

Civil registration offices have different ways of handling requests for certificates. Get details about your nearest civil registration office on the HSE website.

Is there a fee for getting a death certificate?

There is no charge, but you may have to pay for a copy of the death certificate. The fees are €20 for a full standard certificate, €5 for an uncertified copy of an entry in the Register, and €10 to have a certificate authenticated (only available from the General Register Office)

You do not need to apply for a copy of a death certificate for social welfare purposes, as the Department of Social Protection will have access to this information once the death has been registered.

What supports are available to people who have been bereaved?

There are a number of options. Widow’s, Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner’s (Contributory) Pension is a weekly payment to the husband, wife or civil partner of a deceased person. Either you or your deceased spouse or civil partner must have enough social insurance contributions (PRSI).

Alternatively, a Widow’s, Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner’s (Non-Contributory) Pension is a means-tested payment payable to a widow, widower or surviving civil partner who does not qualify for a the above. This is a payment for widows, widowers or surviving civil partners who do not have dependent children. People with dependent children should apply for the One-Parent Family Payment or Jobseeker’s Transitional payment.

Widow’s, Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner’s (Non-Contributory) Pension is not paid to people aged 66 and over, but you can apply for a State Pension (Non-Contributory). If in doubt about what your options are, contact the CIC and staff will be happy to assist.