What is a Funeral Expenses Payment and how do I qualify for help with funeral costs?

Full answer

A Funeral Expenses Payment (also called a Funeral Payment) is part of the Social Fund and helps people on a low income meet the cost of a funeral they are responsible for arranging. To qualify you must be getting one of a set of qualifying benefits -- examples include Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Housing Benefit, or certain Tax Credits -- and you must have an accepted relationship to the person who died, such as their partner, a close relative or close friend. The Department for Work and Pensions also considers whether another relative could reasonably be expected to pay instead, which can affect eligibility. What it covers: the payment can meet the full necessary cost of burial or cremation fees and certain other unavoidable charges, plus a capped lump sum toward additional costs such as the funeral director's fees, the coffin and transport. The exact cap on those additional costs is set by the DWP and is not listed in this guide, so check the current gov.uk figure before relying on it. Any money available from the deceased person's estate, insurance policies or pre-paid funeral plans is normally deducted from the award, so the payment tops up rather than fully funds the funeral in many cases. Timing matters: you generally must claim within six months of the funeral, and you can apply before probate is granted. Who it affects: bereaved people on means-tested benefits who would otherwise struggle to pay, particularly pensioners and low-income families. If you do not qualify but are on a low income, a Budgeting Loan or, in Scotland, a Funeral Support Payment may be alternatives. There is no calculator for this benefit; gov.uk has the application route and current cost caps.