Funeral Payment Assistance
If you receive money from the deceased’s estate.
Your Funeral Expenses Payment will be deducted from any money you get from the deceased’s estate. The estate includes any money or property they had but not a house or personal things left to a widow, widower or surviving civil partner.
Funeral Expenses Payment.
If you are arranging a funeral and have a low income, you may be eligible for a Funeral Expenses Payment from the Social Fund, which you may have to repay from the deceased person’s estate. To be eligible, you must be responsible for the funeral, meet the rules on your relationship with the deceased, claim within six months of the funeral, and meet the rules on where the funeral takes place. You may be eligible if you or your partner receive certain benefits or tax credits, or if you receive Support for Mortgage Interest loan payments.
What you’ll get
Funeral Expenses Payment can help pay for some of the costs of the following:
· burial fees for a particular plot
· cremation fees, including the cost of the doctor’s certificate
· travel to arrange or go to the funeral
· the cost of moving the body within the UK, if it’s being moved more than 50 miles
· death certificates or other documents needed to release the money, savings and property of the person who died.
You can also get up to £1,000 for any other funeral expenses, such as funeral director’s fees, flowers or the coffin.
The payment will not usually cover all of the costs of the funeral.
The amount you receive depends on your circumstances and the availability of other funds. This includes any other money that’s available to cover the costs, for example from an insurance policy or the deceased person’s estate. If the person who died had a pre-paid funeral plan, you’ll only get help for items not covered by the plan. The money is usually paid directly to the funeral director or into your bank, building society or credit union account if the funeral director has already been paid.
Check the claim form notes for full details of what Funeral Expenses Payment covers.
How to claim
Claim by phone by calling the Bereavement Service helpline.
Bereavement Service helpline
Telephone: 0800 151 2012
Welsh language: 0800 731 0453
Textphone: 0800 731 0464
Welsh language textphone: 0800 731 0456
Relay UK (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 151 2012
British Sign Language (BSL) video relay service if you’re on a computer – find out how to use the service on mobile or tablet
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
Find out about call charges
An adviser will also help you claim any other bereavement benefits you might be entitled to.
You can also claim by post. Download and fill in the claim form (SF200), then send it to the address on the form.