21/03/2026
I have had the quiet pleasure of working with this lovely family. Miriam is a warrior, fighting to keep her family afloat after the loss of James. More support and awareness is vital for families navigating loss.
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/752501
This photo shows Mirian Perrin, husband James, and their children, aged 8 and 11.
James died six months ago, and now Mirian, from Hucknall, is highlighting a national petition calling for changes to Bereavement Support Payment (BSP).
The petition, organised by Widows Fight UK, asks the Government to review the current system and consider longer-term support for families with children.
"James was healthy, hard-working and just 49," Miriam said.
"He didn’t smoke, didn’t drink, and he worked incredibly hard for our family. We had a happy life together."
The couple had been together for 20 years and married for 16 with two children, now aged eight and 11.
In April 2021, James became unwell with no warning and was eventually diagnosed with stage two bile duct cancer.
James underwent a major Whipple operation followed by six months of intensive chemotherapy.
For a time, the family's life returned to normal, but in May 2024, during a routine check-up, the couple were told the cancer had returned and had progressed to stage four.
"I remember saying to the oncologist, 'That can’t be right — he has his lunchbox in the car and is going to work'," Miriam said.
Despite being told he may have around twelve months, James continued working as a project engineering manager and worked up until two weeks before he died.
James had been the family's main earner, and when he died, the household lost around 75 per cent of its income overnight.
Miriam says she was surprised to learn how limited the UK’s bereavement support is for widowed parents.
"I was really shocked when I discovered what the bereavement support actually was," she said.
"I couldn’t believe how little help there is for families with children."
Bereavement Support Payment currently provides just over £9,800 in total, spread across 18 months.
"But the bills don’t stop," she added. "The grief doesn’t stop. Raising children alone doesn’t stop."
By the time the payments end, Miriam’s youngest daughter will still be under ten years old.
She said that the payments are based on National Insurance contributions made by the person who died.
"James worked all his life and paid into the system.
"Like so many parents, he worked hard to provide for his children’s future," Miriam said.
She says the reality for many widowed parents is that savings intended for their children’s future are often used simply to cover everyday living costs.
“James can no longer provide for the children he loved so much.
"The savings he worked so hard for are slowly being used just to keep us going.
“When you’re suddenly parenting alone, your capacity to work changes overnight.
"You still have to be there for your children through their grief."
She believes bereaved children deserve to be recognised within the system.
“Nothing about childhood grief is short-term. Supporting children through it shouldn’t be either.”
Miriam now supports a national petition calling for Bereavement Support Payment to be reviewed and for the needs of bereaved children to be considered more fully.
"We need this debated in Parliament. If people understood how little support bereaved families receive, I think many would want to see changes."
