Arranging a funeral is hard enough without the worry of how to pay for it. If you are on a low income and responsible for a funeral, the Funeral Expenses Payment can help with the costs. Many people do not realise this help exists. This guide explains the Funeral Expenses Payment, who can claim, what it covers, and how to apply.
What the Funeral Expenses Payment is
The Funeral Expenses Payment is help from the government towards the cost of a funeral for someone who has died, if you are on a low income and responsible for arranging it. It is a payment, not a loan, although any money available from the estate of the person who died may be recovered from it. It can make the difference between being able to give someone a dignified funeral and facing unmanageable debt.
What it covers
The Funeral Expenses Payment can cover the necessary costs of a burial or cremation, such as the fees involved, along with certain other costs. It also includes an amount towards other funeral expenses, such as the funeral director's fees, a coffin and flowers, up to a set limit. It may not cover the whole cost of a funeral, particularly a more expensive one, so you may still have something to pay, but it can significantly reduce the burden.
Who can claim
To claim, you need to be receiving a qualifying benefit, such as Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit, or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance. You also need to be the right person to take responsibility for the funeral, which usually means a close relative or partner of the person who died, and it must be reasonable for you, rather than someone else, to accept responsibility for the costs.
The relationship rules
The rules about who can claim look at your relationship to the person who died and whether there is anyone else who might be expected to pay instead. This can be complex, especially in larger families, and a claim can be refused if the DWP decides someone else should be responsible. If you are unsure whether you are the right person to claim, it is worth getting advice, as these rules catch some people out.
When to claim
You should claim within six months of the funeral, even if you are waiting for a decision on a qualifying benefit. Do not wait until you have paid the bill, as you can claim during this period regardless. Claiming in good time is important, because a late claim outside the six-month window will normally be refused, so it is best to deal with it as soon as you are able after the funeral.
How to apply
You apply to the DWP, and you can usually do this by phone or using a form. You will need details of the person who died, the funeral, and the costs, as well as your own benefit details. If you are arranging the funeral through a funeral director, they are used to these claims and can often help with the information you need. Citizens Advice can also help you apply.
If you live in Scotland
In Scotland, the equivalent help is the Funeral Support Payment from Social Security Scotland, which works in a similar way but has its own rules and is often more generous. If you live in Scotland, you should apply for the Funeral Support Payment rather than the Funeral Expenses Payment. As with the rest of the UK, it is aimed at people on a low income who are responsible for arranging a funeral.
Other help with funeral costs
If the Funeral Expenses Payment does not cover everything, or you do not qualify, there may be other help. You could apply for a Budgeting Loan or Budgeting Advance towards the cost, look into whether the person who died had any insurance or funeral plan, or consider a simpler, lower-cost funeral. Some local councils also offer a basic public health funeral where there is no one able to arrange or pay for one.
Do not delay arranging the funeral
Worry about cost sometimes makes people hesitate to arrange a funeral, but help is available, and a funeral director can usually proceed while a claim is being decided. You do not have to have the money up front to start arranging things. Speak to a funeral director about your situation and the help you are applying for, as they deal with these circumstances regularly and can guide you through what to do.
Keeping costs down
Funerals can vary enormously in cost, and you are not obliged to choose an expensive one. A simple funeral, or a direct cremation without a service, can cost a great deal less, and you can hold your own gathering to remember the person separately. If money is a worry, ask the funeral director about lower-cost options, as there are dignified ways to say goodbye that do not involve a large bill.
If there is no one to arrange it
If someone dies and there is no one able or willing to arrange and pay for their funeral, the local council or hospital has a duty to arrange a basic funeral, sometimes called a public health funeral. This makes sure everyone receives a respectful funeral even where there is no family or money to pay. If you find yourself in this situation, contact the council, who will explain what happens.
Money from the estate
If the person who died left any money or assets, the Funeral Expenses Payment can be recovered from their estate, so the help is effectively recouped where there are funds available. This does not usually affect personal possessions left to family, but money in accounts or from the sale of assets may be taken into account. An adviser can explain how this works in your situation, so you understand what, if anything, may be recovered.
Other support at a difficult time
Losing someone brings practical and financial challenges as well as grief, and there is support for both. As well as help with funeral costs, check whether you are entitled to bereavement benefits, review your own benefits as your circumstances change, and use the Tell Us Once service to report the death to government in one go. Taking the practical steps a little at a time, with help, can ease some of the burden.
In short
The Funeral Expenses Payment helps people on a low income with the cost of a funeral they are responsible for, covering burial or cremation costs and a contribution towards other expenses. You must be on a qualifying benefit and the right person to claim, and you should apply within six months. In Scotland, claim the Funeral Support Payment instead.
You do not have to face the cost alone
The most important thing to know is that help with funeral costs exists, and you do not have to take on unmanageable debt to give someone a dignified send-off. Between the Funeral Expenses Payment, lower-cost funeral options, and advice from a funeral director and Citizens Advice, there are ways through. At a time of grief, dealing with money is the last thing you want to face, so accept the help that is available to you.
Where to get help
Citizens Advice and your funeral director can help you claim. See our guides to bereavement benefits and Budgeting Advances and Loans.