STV NewsGrieving children who have lost a parent will hand-deliver letters to Westminster on Thursday urging MPs to provide greater support for bereaved families.
They include personal accounts from each child on struggling with life after loss.
One seven-year-old boy, Joey Wallace from Kirkcaldy, writes: “I loved my dad because he was kind. Dad died in 2024. My life is harder now. Please help me.”
His older brother Adam, aged ten, added: “I loved playing chess and streetfighter with my dad. He died in 2024. It made my life really miserable. Some people don’t understand how it affects others. I lost my dad and it is now much harder.”
STV NewsThey are among children and families from across the UK campaigning for changes to bereavement support payments, which are currently limited to 18 months after a parent’s death.
Up until 2017, bereaved families were entitled to financial support from the government known as Widowed Parents’ Allowance (WPA). This assisted parents until they were no longer eligible for Child Benefit – generally when their youngest child turned 18.
But a new system was introduced in 2017 which saw WPA abolished. It was replaced by Bereavement Support Payments (BSP) which are only paid for the first 18 months after a parent has lost their partner.
The rates have not increased since its introduction almost ten years ago. In general, recipients are entitled to a one-off payment of £3,500, followed by 18 further £350 payments.
STV NewsAdam and Joey’s mother, Lorraine Wallace, is backing a campaign by Widowed Families Fight for Justice to reform the system.
She said: “We’re expected to now be able to just get on with it, and everything’s fine now, and it’s not, it’s not because they’re still missing a massive part of their life.
“Adam has pointed out that it’s just unfair. Joey, in a very age-appropriate way, has just said that ‘my life’s harder and sadder now.’
“I would rather have my husband back, but he paid in his National Insurance for over 20 years, and he’s paid into that system that you kind of expect will pay back out, and it’s a system that’s supposed to be there to protect you, and it’s just not.”
Lorraine and her sons will be at the UK parliament on Thursday to join other children and their families delivering letters about their experience.
STV NewsWidows say that despite their partners having paid National Insurance for decades, some as higher-rate taxpayers, they receive nowhere near that in bereavement support.
Halifax mother, Caroline Booth who started the campaign, said: “This isn’t about me – it’s about fairness. Our partners paid in for decades believing their families would be protected. That promise was broken. Grief doesn’t end at 18 months, children’s needs don’t end at 18 months either.”
A petition calling for Bereavement Support Payment (BSP) to be extended beyond its current 18-month limit and increased in line with the cost of living has attracted more than 100,000 signatures and is now due to be debated in Parliament.
In a statement to STV News, the UK Government said Bereavement Support Payment provides short-term financial help, with higher amounts available to families with children. It added that it is helping to reduce the cost of living through increases to Universal Credit.
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