Bereavement Service (Department for Communities, Northern Ireland)

Have ready

• details of the person who died: date of birth, date of death, National Insurance number and the benefits they were getting
• for a Bereavement Support Payment claim: details about you, your partner, your children, other benefits you are getting and your account details
• for a Funeral Expenses Payment claim: details about the funeral director and bill, who is responsible for the funeral, the estate, money to pay for the funeral and your account details
• for a Child Funeral Fund claim: your address, date of birth and National Insurance number, who is responsible for the funeral, the funeral director and bill, and your account details

They can

• record the date of death and tell each office that paid benefit to the person who died
• check if you can claim Bereavement Support Payment, a Funeral Expenses Payment or a Child Funeral Fund payment
• take the information for your application over the phone and pass it to the relevant office
• point you to the Make the Call service if you need support to make a claim

They cannot

• answer at weekends or on bank holidays: they are closed
• ask you for bank details by text, social media or email: their page says you will never be asked for bank details that way