Can I get any assistance with funeral costs?

By Steven Barrett

One of the questions we are asked is “Can I get any assistance with funeral costs?” Assistance is available from the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) Social Fund which can provide assistance to individuals who meet the required criteria. To qualify you must demonstrate that you are the most suitable person to take responsibility for paying the funeral account – additionally you must be receiving at least one of several qualifying benefits and have insufficient savings to pay for the funeral.

Qualifying benefits

You may be eligible for a Funeral Payment from the Social Fund if you or your partner are getting any of the following benefits or tax credits:

Income Support
income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Pension Credit
Housing Benefit
Working Tax Credit which includes a disability or severe disability element
Child Tax Credit at a rate higher than the family element

Making a claim

You can only make a claim from the date of death up to three months after the funeral.

If any funds are available from the deceased estate the social fund will recover these to cover the funeral payment. But they will not use the house in which the deceased partner is living in or the persons personal belongings left to relatives as funds towards a payment to the funeral.

Places they may look for available funds first to help calculate if you qualify for help or how much you qualify for:

Money in a bank, building society or Post Office® account.
Money from insurance policies
Money from an occupational pension scheme
Money from a burial club or something like this
Any savings or cash of the person who has died

The DWP Funeral Payment will only give a limited amount of money which would cover a very basic funeral, or if you choose to have a more traditional funeral they would contribute towards this.