A Nottinghamshire widow is being supported by one of the UK’s leading independent funeral directors to call for change and more conversation around the government’s Bereavement Support Payment (BSP) this Dying Matters Week (May 4 – 8).
Mum-of-one Jo Sharp, 54, from Basford said many families are being left in the lurch, but unaware, until their hour of need. With little to no awareness around BSP across the general population, Jo, backed by A.W. Lymn, is calling for an overhaul of the system and conversations to be had before the death of a loved one.
Formerly known as the Widowed Parents’ Allowance (WPA), bereaved families were entitled to financial support from the government. This assisted parents until they were no longer eligible for Child Benefit – generally when their youngest child turned 18.
However, since the government introduced the new BSP in 2017, a single payment of £2,500 and 18 payments of £100 over 18 months (on the lower rate), is now paid by the government after a parent has lost their partner, if they meet the criteria.
For a person to be entitled to the funds, their deceased partner must have contributed a certain amount of National Insurance, died because of an accident at work or disease caused by work. And the funding is not automatic, parents who lose their partner have to apply within three months of their partners death.
Jo, who is mum to a 9 year old daughter, said: “I lost my husband Paul in February last year, before he reached retirement age, and I think he would be in shock if he knew that after 47.5 years of working – with 42.5 of those spent in the NHS – and paying into his pension and national insurance contributions, we would not be supported in the way he would have liked as a result of the changes to the Bereavement Support Payment. I have had to live off my savings for the last 13 months as until now I haven’t been able to return to work, and I will need to dip into my pension early due to the financial strain.
“It’s worrying because a lot of families will be totally unaware by the lack of support BSP provides or even the fact they need to apply for it, until they need it most, and I’m sure there will be many families who will end up being in a worse off position than I am. I’m lucky that I have a roof over my head and savings I can call on, but many won’t.
“Following Paul’s immediate death, I wasn’t able to return to work because of how it impacted our nine-year-old daughter. She suffered serious trauma and to get her back to school, I would go in with her and sit on the classroom floor for six hours a day.
“There needs to be more conversation and awareness about the lack of support facing widowed parents and we need system change. If I can be an advocate for others to make what is the most difficult time of your life that little bit easier, I hope I can.”
Matthew Lymn Rose, Managing Director and fifth generation at A.W. Lymn, who supported Jo through Paul’s death and arranged his funeral, said: “Jo’s case is devastating, but sadly it is one we see on a weekly basis. The Bereavement Support Payment is not fit for purpose, and it is something we owe to widowed parents to get right.
“We care deeply about the families we support beyond that of the initial funeral arrangements. Jo has our full support in her campaigning efforts, and we now turn to the government to ask how they will make this right not only for the thousands of families across the country going through grief right now, but the millions who may need to call on its support in future too.”
There is an open petition which Jo and A.W. Lymn have signed calling for system change. The family funeral directors are now encouraging others to sign it before it closes in July to ensure a debate in Parliament.
A.W. Lymn was established in Nottingham in 1907 and has grown to become one of the UK’s largest independent funeral directors, operating 27 branches across the region. Having recently acquired M.A. Mills and expanded into Leicestershire, it continues to grow its reach and network of talented funeral directors supporting people in their time of utmost need.
