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How to pay for a funeral

There are various ways to pay for a funeral.  You could

• Put your money into a savings account
• The next of kin may be eligible to receive funeral benefit payment
• Take out an insurance life policy
• Pay into a pre-paid funeral plan
  

Some of these pre-paid funeral plans are written specific for some of the corporate large funeral director companies. All of these still can be used with us as an independent funeral director – we will advise you how you can still benefit from those plans using our caring service.‍

Financial help to pay for a funeral

In some circumstances the next of kin, or the person arranging the funeral (not us) may receive financial help towards the funeral from the Social Fund, depending on your income but may not cover all of the costs. Typically funeral expenses payment can help pay for 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 of the person who has died within the UK, if they are being moved more than 50 miles
• Death certificates or other documents
• Up to £1,000 for any other funeral expenses such as our fees, flowers or the coffin
  

If the person who has died had a pre-paid funeral plan, the amount you can claim is less.

Those eligible for a funeral payment from the social fund would be receiving the following benefits (there is no effect on these benefits if you are successful obtaining the social fund funeral payment):-

• Universal credit
• Income support
• Income based job seekers allowance
• Income related employment and support allowance
• Pension credit
• Housing benefit
• Disability or severe disability element of working tax credit
• Child tax credit
  

To claim you must be either:

• The partner of the deceased when they died
• A close relative or close friend of the deceased
• The parent of a baby still born after 24 weeks of pregnancy
• The parent or person responsible for a deceased child who was under 16 (or under 20 and in approved education or training
  

How to Claim and obtain more information, go to the government website

https://www.gov.uk/‍

Other money that may be available to pay for a funeral

• See Funeral Plans
• The person who has died may have a pension or insurance life policy
• There is money available from the estate of the person who has died
• The Government have a scheme called Bereavement Support Payment https://www.gov.uk/bereavement-support-payment/how-to-claim
• Widowed Parents Allowance https://www.gov.uk/widowed-parents-allowance
• Specific Grant Funding or Charities, which may depend on your occupation, or where you live for example:
• Care Workers Charity   https://www.thecareworkerscharity.org.uk/funeral-grants/
• Older People On Low Income   https://www.fote.org.uk/our-charity-work/grants-2/
• War Veterans   https://www.gov.uk/guidance/funeral-expenses-for-war-pensioners-and-veterans
• Down to Earth https://quakersocialaction.org.uk/we-can-help/helping-funerals/down-earth
• Children Funeral Fund   https://www.gov.uk/child-funeral-costs
• Child Funeral Charity   https://www.childfuneralcharity.org.uk/
• Child End of Life Support & Funeral Costs   https://reactcharity.org/what-we-do/how-react-can-help
• Crowdfunding  https://www.gofundme.com/en-gb/c/crowdfunding
  

• St Monica Trust  - For those living across Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Bath and North-East Somerset  https://www.stmonicatrust.org.uk/charitable-impact/charitable-giving
• Death in Service  https://www.unison.org.uk/get-help/knowledge/pay/death-in-service/