The National Bereavement Alliance (NBA) has reported to its members in the bereavement sector the shocking reality that if you are poor, you are more likely to experience early bereavement and that bereavement can cause poverty, especially when an adult with children loses a partner. 

Using research from the last few years, the NBA reported that

People living in poverty are more likely to experience early bereavement

*Children born into lowest income quintiles have five times greater risk of being bereaved of a parent by the age of 10 than those in the highest income quintile (Paul and Aswani, 2021)

*More than 1 in 5 excess deaths in England and Wales attributable to cold homes (10% in fuel poverty) (Institute of Health Equity, 2015)

Poverty increases the risks of bereavement

*Lower household income is associated with higher complicated grief symptoms (Newsom et all, 2019)

*Paternally bereaved young people whose mothers have low levels of socioeconomic resources suffer a drop in their educational chances (Prix and Erola 2017).

If you were recently bereaved when your partner died, you weren't married and have children, please remember the rules have changed to allow you to claim benefits and get these backdated to the time of your partner's death. Read more information by clicking on the button below.

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