I AM very concerned about the changes to Bereavement Benefits included in the Pensions Bill, which has its second reading in the House of Commons on Monday.

These will have a negative impact on many children whose mother or father has died.

Sebastian’s Bereavement Support services sebsbereavement services.btck.co.uk which is based in Hampshire, already works with many local families who will be affected by these changes and many others across the area will be affected.

Much of the detail of the reformed Bereavement Support Payment (BSP) will be in regulations. But the Government have failed to provide this information before the reading of the bill.

We have an understanding of Government plans, as they are outlined in their response to a consultation on the reforms.

Based on this, I have some serious concerns: l Under current proposals the suggested duration of BSP is just one year. For most families this is much shorter than for the existing Wiodowed Parent’s Allowance (WPA), and is too short to address families’ needs.

l As a result of this shorter duration of payments, it is estimated that around 90 per cent of new claimants with children would be worse off, with families with young children (who can currently claim for longer) particularly badly affected.

l Widowed parents will be expected to return to work six months after a death, which is too soon.

l The tax status of the payments is unclear, making it difficult to anticipate the reform’s full impact.

l Unmarried partners will be ineligible for BSP, denying many families support – the impact of which will be felt by children who have no control over their parents’ marital status.

l Making changes without adequate transitional arrangements could mean that families where a parent is terminally ill face great uncertainty about their financial future.

It would be helpful if readers could make contact with their local MP to ensure that these important issues are raised during the debates.

I believe that your intervention can help achieve a more secure future for bereaved children.

Paul Burrows-Gibson, Chairman, Sebastian’s Bereavement Support Services, sebsbereavementservices.btck.co.uk.