Lib Dems announce £400 million boost to bereavement payments, reversing “heartless” Conservative cuts

EMBARGO: 22:30 Saturday 29th June

• Ed Davey has promised to give bereaved families the support they deserve, opening up about his personal experience of losing both parents at a young age

• Liberal Democrats announce a £440 million-a-year boost to support widows and children during “toughest moments”, reversing Conservative cuts since 2017

• The Liberal Democrat proposals would extend the period for which bereaved families receive ongoing support

The Liberal Democrats have today announced plans to reverse Conservative cuts to support payments for bereaved families who lose a parent. The move would increase funding by around £440m a year by 2028-29.

Since 2017, the Conservative Government has cut funding for Bereavement Support Payments by around 50%. The Liberal Democrats would reverse the Conservative Party’s cuts, roughly doubling funding for Bereavement Support Payments, injecting an additional £440m a year into the system by 2028-29.

Currently a bereaved family receives a lump sum of up to £3,500, followed by a monthly payment of up to £350 for 18 months. The Liberal Democrats are calling for this period to be extended, using their £440 million package to provide longer ongoing support after someone loses a family member or partner, on top of initial lump sum payments.

Leader Ed Davey said his party’s plans will restore the support that families who lose a loved one deserve. Speaking of his personal experience of losing his father to cancer at age 4 and his mother to illness as a teenager, Davey promised to reverse the “heartless” cuts made by the Conservatives limiting payments to a mere 18 months after a death.

Ed Davey challenged then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson about the length of these payments in his first PMQ as Leader of the Liberal Democrats in January 2020, and in 2022, he successfully pressured the Government to ensure cohabiting couples are eligible for the Bereavement Support Payment. Previously only married couples or those in civil partnerships were eligible.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

“Losing a parent or partner is one of the toughest moments it is possible for anyone to experience. Having lost both of my parents growing up, I understand just how important it is to have a proper safety net.

“The Conservative Government’s cuts to support payments were heartless and shortsighted, making it harder for families and children who have lost someone.

“Rishi Sunak’s government has failed to ensure families are not left struggling to pay the bills at such a difficult period of time. The Liberal Democrats would treat families and children who lose a loved one with dignity and provide the support they deserve.”

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Restoring spending on bereavement benefits to their level before the Conservative Government’s cuts (2016-17 levels in real-terms) would cost £440 million a year by 2028-29.

The additional funding is part of the Liberal Democrats’ plan to make the welfare system fairer and is included in their fully costed manifesto. Liberal Democrat manifesto costings setting out how all spending measures would be paid for are available here.