Amount
€8,000, once-off
If you have been looking for the Widowed Parent Grant and could not find it, that is because it has a different name now. It is the Bereaved Parent Grant, it is €8,000 paid once, and it was renamed for a reason that matters: it was extended to cohabiting couples, who were entitled to nothing before.
Quick facts
- Amount
- €8,000, once-off
- Old name
- Widowed or Surviving Civil Partner's Grant
- Cohabitants
- Yes — deaths on or after 21 July 2025
- Also needed
- One of five qualifying payments
- Apply
- By post only
How much is the Bereaved Parent Grant?
€8,000, paid once. Citizens Information puts it plainly: “The Bereaved Parent Grant is a once-off payment of €8,000.”
It can be paid straight into your account. There is no weekly element and it is separate from any pension you may also be getting — the grant is a lump sum on top.
Is this the Widowed Parent Grant?
Yes — it is the same payment under a new name. It was called the Widowed or Surviving Civil Partner's Grant and, in Citizens Information's words, “It was renamed when it was extended to include cohabitants (cohabitating couples).”
This is worth saying clearly because the old name is still what people search for, and a payment you cannot find is a payment you do not claim. If someone told you years ago that you might be due the Widowed Parent Grant, they were talking about this.
Can cohabiting couples claim it?
Yes, if the death occurred on or after 21 July 2025. That date is the whole change, and it is why this page exists.
A cohabiting couple is one that “lives together in an intimate and committed relationship, who are not married to each other and not in a civil partnership.” To qualify, you must have been living together continuously for:
- At least 2 years — if you have at least one dependent child of the relationship
- At least 5 years — if you have a dependent child, but not of the relationship
Before this, an unmarried partner with children got nothing from this grant, no matter how long they had been together. If your partner died on or after 21 July 2025 and nobody has mentioned this to you, it is worth checking.
The condition people miss
Having a dependent child is not enough on its own. You must also qualify for one of five payments.
Citizens Information lists them: “To get the Bereaved Parent's Grant you must also qualify for one of the following payments” —
- Bereaved Partner's Contributory Pension
- One-Parent Family Payment
- Death Benefit under the Occupational Injuries Scheme
- State Pension (Contributory)
- State Pension (Non-Contributory)
We are putting this high on the page rather than in the small print. If none of those five applies to you, the grant does not either, and it is better to know that now than after sending a form away. If one of them might apply and you have never claimed it, that is the thing to look at first — the grant follows from it.
What counts as a dependent child?
Under 18, or 18 to 22 and in full-time education at a recognised school or college. The child must normally be resident in the State and living with you at the date of death.
There is one extension worth knowing: you can also qualify if your child is born within 10 months of the death of your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant.
How do you apply?
By post. There is no online application. You download and complete the Bereaved Parent Grant application form and send it to:
Bereaved Partner's Pension Section
Department of Social Protection
Pensions Services Office
College Road, Sligo
Tel: (071) 915 7100 or 0818 200 400
One shortcut: “You do not need to submit an application form if you are applying for Bereaved Partner's (Contributory) Pension.” If that claim is already going in, the grant is handled with it.
Being post-only matters more than it sounds. Payments with an online journey get found because the website offers them to you. This one does not, so nothing prompts anybody — which is a fair part of why a €8,000 grant goes unclaimed.
Phone, forms and how long it takes
- Bereaved Partner's Pension Section
- (071) 915 7100
- Social Welfare Appeals Office (appeals only)
- (01) 673 2800
- Bereaved Partner's Pension Section
- widows.con@welfare.ie
- Application form (post only)
- BPG 1
- Post the form to
- Bereaved Parent Grant, Department of Social Protection, College Road, Sligo, F91 T384
- If you are refused
- You have 60 days from the date on the decision letter to appeal.
From the official pages (citizensinformation.ie, gov.ie), re-checked every night. Numbers and times can change, so check the official page before you send anything.
Common questions
How much is the Bereaved Parent Grant?
It is a once-off payment of €8,000. Citizens Information states: “The Bereaved Parent Grant is a once-off payment of €8,000.” It can be paid directly into your account at a financial institution. There is no weekly element — this is a single lump sum, separate from any pension you may also be entitled to.
Is the Bereaved Parent Grant the same as the Widowed Parent Grant?
Yes. It was called the Widowed or Surviving Civil Partner's Grant and was renamed when it was extended to include cohabiting couples. If you have been searching for the Widowed Parent Grant or the Widowed or Surviving Civil Partner's Grant and could not find it, this is the same payment under its current name.
Can cohabiting couples get the Bereaved Parent Grant?
Yes, but only where the partner's death occurred on or after 21 July 2025. A cohabiting couple with dependent children must have lived together continuously for at least 2 years if there is at least one dependent child of the relationship, or at least 5 years if the dependent child or children are not of the relationship. Before this change, surviving cohabitants did not qualify at all.
Do you have to be getting another payment to qualify?
Yes, and this is the condition people miss. As well as having a dependent child, you must also qualify for one of five payments: Bereaved Partner's Contributory Pension, One-Parent Family Payment, Death Benefit under the Occupational Injuries Scheme, State Pension (Contributory) or State Pension (Non-Contributory). If none of those applies to you, the grant does not.
What counts as a dependent child for the Bereaved Parent Grant?
A child up to age 18, or between 18 and 22 and in full-time education at a recognised school or college. The child must normally be resident in the State and living with you. You can also qualify if your child is born within 10 months of the death of your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant.
How do you apply for the Bereaved Parent Grant?
By post only — there is no online application. You download and complete the Bereaved Parent Grant application form and send it to the Bereaved Partner's Pension Section, Department of Social Protection, Pensions Services Office, College Road, Sligo. If you are applying for Bereaved Partner's (Contributory) Pension, you do not need to submit a separate form for the grant.