§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on new bereavement benefits; what efforts have been made to publicise this benefit to the public; and under what circumstances someone would be eligible for the benefit. [20962]
§ Malcolm WicksBereavement Benefits were introduced on 9 April 2001 and are available to both men and women for the first time. They concentrate the help available where and when it is needed most, on immediate needs and on families with children. Entitlement is based on the National Insurance record of the deceased spouse.
Since March 2000 the Department has issued leaflets on the new bereavement benefits to doctors' surgeries, Post Offices and benefit advisers. Articles explaining the new benefits were placed in a variety of magazines prior to their introduction in April 2001. In addition, to ensure that as many men as possible were able to claim Widowed Parent's Allowance from the outset, the Department identified over 11,000 potential male beneficiaries from the Child Benefit computer system and sent them claim forms in March 2001.