Care and support

Help with funeral costs

Who can claim?

You may qualify for help with funeral expenses from the social fund if you or your partner receive one or more of the following benefits:

• income support,
• income based job seekers allowance (including hardship payments)
• housing benefit
• council tax benefit (including second adult rebate if you are the ‘second adult’),
• child tax credit paid at a rate higher than the family element
• working tax credit including the disability or severe disability premium
• pension credit

Funeral payments can be paid if you are on one or more of the above benefits and are responsible for the funeral payments. The DWP will check if they consider it is reasonable for you or your partner to claim responsibility for the funeral.

How much will I get?

Funeral payments only cover the following expenses:

• The necessary cost of purchasing a new burial plot and necessary burial fees. The burial of ashes following cremation are not covered
• Necessary cremation fees, including medical references and certificates and the fee for removing a pacemaker (restricted to £20 if not carried out by a doctor),
• The cost of documentation necessary for the release of the deceased’s assets
• The reasonable cost of transport for the portion of journeys, in excess of 50 miles, undertaken to:
• transport the body within the UK to a funeral director’s premises or to a place of rest
• transport the coffin and bearers in a hearse and the mourners in another vehicle from the funeral director’s premises or place of rest to the funeral.
• The necessary expenses of one return journey for the responsible person to arrange or attend the funeral. The maximum allowed is the cost of a return journey from home to the place where the burial or cremation costs are incurred.
• Up to £700 for any other funeral expenses (eg funeral director’s fees, religious costs, flowers, other transport costs)

Costs relating to religious requirements cannot be included in the amount allowed for burial and transport.

What if this is not enough?

If the amount awarded does not cover your funeral expenses you could try making an application for a community care grant (eg for the cost of a headstone).

What if the deceased had a pre payment plan?

You can not claim for any items provided for under a pre-paid funeral plan. Expenses not covered by the plan can be paid if they fall into any of the above categories, but the maximum allowed under the last category is restricted to £120

Can the DWP recover costs from the estate?

The DWP can seek to recover costs from the estate of the deceased person.

How do I claim?

Phone the jobcentre plus contact centre on 0845 8500 032 or download claim form SF200 from www.direct.gov.uk. There are strict time limits. You must claim within three months of the death. There are no provisions for a late claim.
Death of a child

Bereavement benefits are not available following the death of a child. Payments of benefit made for the child will generally cease following their death and the agencies concerned need to be informed quickly. However the following can continue for eight weeks after the child’s death: child benefit, child tax credit, carer’s allowance paid for looking after the child.
Once carer’s allowance stops any carer premium paid with means tested benefit can continue for a further eight weeks.

If you were getting income support because you were treated as a carer of a child with ill health or a disability, this can also continue for eight weeks after you cease to be a carer.