Misha Gray has started a petition on change.org to Rt Hon Mel Stride MP (Secretary of State for Work and Pensions) asking that the Bereavement Support Payment be extended to family members in addition to a spouse or partner.
Her petition is copied below:
When my mum died, me and my three siblings were left without the support we desperately needed due to a loophole in the Bereavement Support Payment (BSP).
My mum passed away in April leaving behind four heartbroken kids. The BSP would have helped us massively, but we weren’t entitled to it. That can’t change for us, but it can change for others who may find themselves in this situation in the future.
Currently, only spouses or civil partners are eligible for BSP when their partner dies. For our family, that meant that me and my siblings weren’t entitled to anything when my mum passed away, despite being her next of kin.
We don’t want other families to go through what we’ve been through, it’s unfair and unjust. The BSP needs to be inclusive of all next of kin, regardless of their relationship to the loved one they have lost. Losing a loved one is one of the most difficult experiences anyone can go through. The impact of bereavement is difficult to navigate, and it's important that those left behind are given the support they need to cope with their loss.
Please sign this petition calling on the Government to recognise this inequality and take action by extending the Bereavement Support Payment to all next of kin.
We have signed her petition and support her request for this system to be brought up-to-date.
Please also sign her petition here SUPPORT MISHA
Thank you to everyone
Steve, for Provals
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