Help with funeral costs

The funeral is usually paid for by the family or friends of the person who has died. In some cases, people may have invested in a pre-paid funeral plan. These plans mean that the funeral payments and arrangements are already taken care of in advance, minimising the financial impact on those left behind.

In some cases, your loved one will have talked to you about their funeral plans or may have included details as part of their will. However, if you’re unsure whether your loved one has a funeral plan in place, there are a few steps you can take.

First and foremost, you will usually find paperwork relating to a plan amongst your loved one’s possessions, or details of payments in their bank or building society records which will tell you who the provider is. If not, the plan provider or the plan’s regulator can help you trace a plan.

Sometimes, the costs of the funeral can be covered by the estate of the person who died. In simple terms, the estate is the money and assets that they have left behind. It is important to remember that the estate also needs to cover costs such as debts or mortgages, so check with the administrator of the estate before you commit to any funeral costs.

It is also possible that the person who died might have money in their bank account which could cover or help with funeral costs. Some banks will allow you to access these funds to cover the cost of a funeral, or can arrange to pay the funeral director directly from the account on your behalf. Again, it is important to check with the administrator or executor of the estate before speaking to the bank.

If your loved one had life insurance, you might want to consider using part of the lump-sum payment to cover funeral costs. Equally, check whether employers or professional bodies such as trade unions might offer a death-in-service pay-out when someone dies.

If you have explored all of these options and cannot cover the costs of the funeral from the estate or an insurance policy, there are still ways to get help.

The Funeral Expenses Payment will help to pay for the cost of a funeral if you fit certain criteria and are on certain benefits. The money will not usually cover the full cost, but will cover travel expenses, death certificates and cremation or burial fees. You may also get a payment towards other costs such as the funeral director’s fees, the coffin or casket and flowers. If your loved one had a funeral plan, you may be eligible for a smaller contribution towards costs that the plan does not cover.

The payment will be made into your bank account if you have already paid for the funeral, or direct to the funeral director if you have not yet settled the bill.

You can get help towards the cost of a funeral if you or your partner receive one of the following benefits:

• Universal Credit
• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Pension Credit
• Housing Benefit
• Disability or severe disability element of Working Tax Credit
• Child Tax Credit
• Support for Mortgage Interest loan

Common reasons for refusal. Applications are usually refused on the grounds that the applicant has savings or insurance, is not a partner, close friend or relative of the person who died, is not in receipt of benefits, or that there is another close relative or partner who is responsible. It is worth taking the time to review the eligibility criteria thoroughly before you apply.

Crowdfunding and donations. The scheme is means tested, but the testing criteria no longer include money raised through donations or crowdfunding. Recipients are able to receive contributions from relatives, friends or charities without it being deducted from the payment.

How much you get depends on your circumstances and takes into account funds from insurance policies or the estate. It will not usually cover all of the costs of the funeral.

How to apply. In England and Wales you can apply by phone through the Bereavement Service helpline, or by downloading and filling in the claim form. In Northern Ireland you must apply through NI Direct. You must apply within six months of the funeral, even if you are waiting for a decision on a qualifying benefit. You can claim before the funeral if you have an invoice or signed contract from the funeral director, although it cannot be an estimate.

The Funeral Support Payment is available to people in Scotland who need support paying for a funeral and meet certain criteria. You can get it if all of the following apply:

• You live in Scotland.
• You have not already had help with funeral costs from the government for this funeral.
• You or your partner are getting at least one qualifying benefit: Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit, Child Tax Credit, the disability or severe disability element of Working Tax Credit, Universal Credit or Housing Benefit.
• You are applying after the person died, but less than six months after their funeral.
• The funeral is for someone who lived in the UK.
• You or your partner had the nearest relationship to the person who has died.
• You or your partner are responsible for paying for the funeral, meaning you are named on the funeral bill.
• The funeral is being held in the UK, a country in the EU, or Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland.

How much you get depends on your circumstances, including any other money available to cover the costs, such as an insurance policy or the person’s estate. It can be paid either to you or to the funeral director helping you plan the funeral.

How to apply. Most people take around 25 to 35 minutes to complete the online form. You cannot apply online if you do not have a permanent address, do not have a bank account and have agreed another way to be paid, or are applying for someone who cannot manage their own affairs. In those cases you will need to apply by phone or post.

Call Social Security Scotland on 0800 182 2222 to apply over the phone. An adviser can help you make your application at your own pace. If you are a British Sign Language user, you can use the contactSCOTLAND app to contact Social Security Scotland by video relay. The call centre is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.

You can also apply by filling in a paper form. Social Security Scotland has a separate, shorter form for the funeral of a baby, child or young person aged 17 or under.

Children’s Funeral Fund. If you live in England, Scotland or Wales your local authority will not charge you fees for a standard burial or cremation of a child under the age of 18. The fund does not cover other funeral costs. Dignity understands that a child’s funeral is a particularly distressing event for families, and has a long-standing policy of not charging for funerals for people under the age of 18. We will cover the cost of a funeral service, including caring for your loved one, a basic coffin, hearse and funeral director’s fees. In the case of a cremation, we will cover the cost of the chapel, provision of music, the cremation service and administration. Extras such as non-standard vehicles, the wake, flowers, plaques and orders of ceremony are not included. Contact your local funeral director for more information.

Budgeting loans. A budgeting loan is an interest-free loan available to people who have been on Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or income-related Employment and Support Allowance for a minimum of 26 weeks. These loans are repaid directly from your benefits and are intended for essentials. The money can be used to cover funeral costs and must be repaid within 104 weeks. In England and Wales you can apply online; in Northern Ireland you must apply through NI Direct.

Bereavement Support Payment. This is available to people who have lost a spouse or civil partner, as long as they are under state pension age. The payment is made either as a one-off lump sum, which could be used to cover funeral costs, or as a smaller monthly payment over a period of 18 months. The amount varies according to whether the surviving partner has dependent children.

Public health funeral. If there is not enough money in the estate to pay for the funeral, friends and family are unable to cover the costs and you are not eligible for other support, the council can arrange a public health funeral. Sometimes referred to as a pauper’s funeral, these are usually a short, simple cremation service which does not include flowers, viewings, obituaries or transport for family members. People can attend, but the time, date and funeral director are selected by the local authority and any extras are paid for separately.

If your loved one served in the Armed Forces, was receiving a War Disablement Pension or died as a result of serving in the Armed Forces, you may be able to apply for help with their funeral costs from a service charity.

There are many charities and benevolent societies which could help to cover the costs of a funeral. These are often associated with a specific trade or vocation, but there are also charities which help fund funerals for the young, the elderly or people with specific illnesses.

• Quaker Social Action focuses on helping people on low incomes in East London and across the UK. As part of their work they provide practical help and support with funeral costs.
• Funeral Link Dundee was set up to support those struggling with the costs of funerals, offering help, advice and support when planning a funeral.
• Friends of the Elderly provides grants to older people living on low incomes, which can be used to cover unexpected costs such as those related to organising a funeral.
• The Child Funeral Charity offers financial support to families that have lost a child under the age of 16. While many funeral directors do not charge a fee for children’s funerals, the additional expenses can still add up. React and Children are Butterflies also offer support to those who have lost children.
• Leukaemia Care provides grants to leukaemia sufferers who meet their eligibility criteria.