Funeral Payments

Are you on a low income and need help to pay for a funeral you're arranging.

1. Overview

You could get a Funeral Payment if you’re on a low income and need help to pay for a funeral you’re arranging.

How much you get depends on your circumstances and if you qualify.

Repayments

Any money you get is usually paid back from the deceased person’s estate (if they have one). For example, any money or property they had.

A house or personal things left to a widow, widower or surviving civil partner are not counted as part of the estate.

2. What you'll get

How much you get depends on your circumstances.

The Funeral Payment can help pay for:

burial fees and exclusive rights to burial in a particular plot
cremation fees, including the cost of the doctor’s certificate
up to £700 for funeral expenses, eg funeral director’s fees, flowers, coffin
travel to arrange or go to the funeral
the costs for moving the body within the UK - but only for the part of the journey that’s over 50 miles

If the person who died had a pre-paid funeral plan, you’ll only get help for items not covered by the plan.

Other costs the Funeral Payment can pay for are detailed in form SF200.

Download ‘Form SF200 - Funeral Payment claim form’ (PDF, 120KB)

How the money is paid

Usually, if the funeral director hasn’t been paid, the money is paid to them.

If the funeral director has been paid, the money is paid into your account - eg a bank account.

3. Eligibility

To get a Funeral Payment you must be responsible for the funeral and:

claim in time
get certain benefits or tax credits
meet the rules on your relationship with the deceased

The rules are different, if the person died outside the UK.

When to claim

You must apply within 3 months of the funeral. You can make a claim even if you’re waiting for a decision on a qualifying benefit.

Rules on your relationship with the deceased

You must be one of the following:

the partner of the deceased when they died
a close relative or close friend of the deceased
the parent of the still-born baby
the parent of the deceased child, if they were under 16 (or under 20 and not in full-time education)

If the parent is ‘absent’, you must be responsible for the child and the absent parent must get a qualifying benefit.

Benefits and tax credits

You (or your partner) must get one of the following:

Income Support
income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Pension Credit
Housing Benefit
the disability or severe disability element of Working Tax Credit
one of the extra elements of Child Tax Credit
Universal Credit

How much you get also depends on any other money available, eg from an insurance policy or the deceased’s estate.

If there’s a close relative of the deceased who isn’t getting one of the qualifying benefits you may not be able to claim Funeral Payment.

4. How to claim

You can claim the Funeral Payment:

by post - send form SF200 to your local Jobcentre plus
by phone

How to claim is different in Northern Ireland.

Download ‘Form SF200, Funeral Payment claim form’ (PDF, 120KB)

Bereavement Service helpline
Telephone: 0845 606 0265
Welsh language: 0845 606 0275

Textphone: 0845 606 0285
Welsh language: 0845 606 0295

Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
Find out about call charges

What you need to know

You must apply within 3 months of the funeral, even if you’re waiting for a decision on a qualifying benefit.

You can make a claim before the funeral, if you’ve got an invoice from the funeral director. It must be an invoice, an estimate won’t be accepted.

If you can apply by phone, the adviser will help you claim any other bereavement benefits you’re entitled to.

Appeals

You can appeal against the decision about your Funeral Payment if you’re unhappy with it.

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