To be an orphan, your natural, adoptive or relationship parents must be dead, or legally missing and presumed dead. You aren’t an orphan if at least one natural or adoptive parent is alive or presumed to be alive.
To qualify you must be 15 or older.
You may need to give us evidence to let us know that your parents are dead, or legally missing and presumed dead. This may include one of the following:
- a death certificate
- a police or coroners statement
- a statement from a missing persons register.
If we assess you as independent and you get legally adopted, we’ll consider you dependent again.