Loss of support

Loss of support is the value of the financial help a family would have kept receiving from someone who was killed in an accident.

The court starts from the deceased’s income, deducts what they would have spent on themselves, and applies a multiplier to reach a figure for the family’s ongoing loss. Money already paid out under insurance, provident fund or a pension is not deducted from this figure, so those benefits are kept separate.

Loss of support is the main financial head within a dependency claim, distinct from the fixed bereavement award and from funeral costs, which are claimed alongside it.

How dependants’ support is valued explains the method in more detail.