Frequently asked questions

Often, the closest relative to the person who has died will make the funeral arrangements for them, however this is not always possible. Other family members or close friends may choose to make the arrangements. In circumstances where there is no-one willing or able to make funeral arrangements for someone who has died, the local authority where the death happened has a legal duty. This is known as a Council Funeral or Public Health Funeral.

Although it is often the closest relative of the person who has died who makes the funeral arrangements, sometimes this isn’t practical or possible.  In these situations, often other family members or close friends will assist, and if there is no-one at all, the local authority where the person died has a legal duty to make the arrangements. This is known as a Council Funeral or Public Health Funeral.

If you’re not able to pay for a funeral, there are different ways that you can consider raising money towards the funeral costs, for example the estate of the person who has died, government support and grant-giving charities.

In circumstances where there is no-one who can make funeral arrangements for someone who has died, the local authority where the person died has a legal responsibility to make the arrangements. These arrangements differ between local authorities and, while most will allow people to attend, sometimes they are restricted to a direct, unattended cremation. These are known as Council Funerals or Public Health Funerals.

A government grant from the DWP toward the cost of a funeral, intended for people on qualifying benefits. The person making the claim doesn’t need to pay this back but if the deceased person left sufficient assets (e.g. money or property) in their estate, the DWP are entitled to recover the payment from there and will usually attempt to do so.

You can apply for a Funeral Expenses Payment even if you do not use a funeral director. The full amount is unlikely to cover even the cost of a simple funeral, so you are likely to have a shortfall.

The DWP look at several things when deciding whether to issue a funeral payment including:

• The applicant’s benefits and the benefits of some of the deceased person’s family
• The type and amount of contact they had with the deceased person

If you are arranging an adult funeral, you can check whether you are eligible to claim the Funeral Expenses Payment using our eligibility checker.
The applicant will usually need to be named on the funeral bill. If they are not, an explanation will need to be given.

The person who has died must have lived in the UK and their funeral be taking place in the UK, European Economic Area, or Switzerland. You, or your partner, must be responsible for the funeral costs, and you must apply for it within 6 months of the date of the funeral.

The benefits considered for eligibility are Universal Credit, Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit and Housing Benefit. You might also be eligible if you’re getting a Support for Mortgage Interest loan.

In England and Wales, you can apply by phoning the DWP Bereavement Service Helpline on 0800 151 2012. You can also fill in a paper SF200 form and post it. For textphone, video relay service for British Sign Language users or Welsh language options, visit the DWP website.

In Northern Ireland you can contact the Bereavement Service on 0800 085 2463.  You can also fill in a paper SF200 form and post it. For textphone, or video relay service for British Sign Language users, visit the NI Direct website.

The main costs the Funeral Expenses Payment contributes towards are as follows:

• ‘Reasonable’ burial or cremation fees.
• Up to £1,000 toward other funeral expenses (generally those covered under funeral director’s fees or, if you are making your own arrangements, costs such as the coffin). If the person who has died had a pre-paid funeral plan, this amount is capped at £120.
• Death certificates to release money belonging to the person who died.
• One return journey to arrange or attend the funeral (not including the cost of a funeral car or limousine to transport mourners)
• In some circumstances, transport costs if you need to move the person who died over 50 miles (80 kilometres).

The amount will be reduced by any money in the deceased person’s estate that is available without probate or letters of administration (except money held as a ‘joint tenancy’ – a joint account where both people pay in and neither has restrictions on withdrawing). However, arrears of benefits paid in on the date of death or afterwards should not be deducted.

The person making the claim doesn’t need to pay this back, but if the person who has died left sufficient assets (e.g. money or property) in their estate the DWP are entitled to recover the payment from there and will usually attempt to do so.

You can ask the DWP to look at their decision again. This is called a mandatory reconsideration, and you should ask for this within 30 days of the decision. If you miss this deadline, you can still ask for a mandatory reconsideration, but you’ll have to explain why you missed it.

If you still don’t agree with the decision after it has been looked at again you can ask an independent tribunal to consider an appeal. This should be requested within 30 days of a decision from the mandatory reconsideration.

If the funeral is for an adult, you may want to check eligibility using our digital Funeral Expenses Payment eligibility checker.

The DWP aim to process Funeral Expenses Payments within 13 working days, though in practice it can take longer.

You may be able to get a Bereavement Support Payment if you are under state pension age when your partner dies, if they have paid at least 25 weeks of National Insurance contributions in any one tax year since 6 April 1975, or if they have died because of an accident at work or a disease caused by work. In Northern Ireland, the rule about National Insurance contributions is relaxed if the person who has died was unable to work throughout their working life due to disability.

If you don’t have dependent children, you would need to have been married to, or in a civil partnership with, the person who has died.

If you were getting Child Benefit or were entitled to it for a child/children, or were pregnant, you can also get a payment if you were living together as if you were married.

You usually need to make a claim within 3 months of your partner’s death to get the full amount of payments.

If you were getting Child Benefit, were entitled to it for a child/children, or were pregnant when your spouse or cohabiting partner died you will receive a one-off payment of £3,500 followed by up to 18 monthly payments of £350.

If you were not getting Child Benefit, and were not eligible to claim it, and were not pregnant when your spouse died you will receive a one-off payment of £2,500 followed by up to 18 monthly payments of £100.

You must claim within 3 months of your partner’s death to get the full payments. If you claim more than 3 months after your partner’s death you will receive less. If it has been more than 21 months since your partner’s death, you usually cannot get any payments.

If you reach State Pension age within 18 months of your partner’s death, you may get fewer monthly payments.

You can phone the Department for Work and Pensions on 0800 151 2012. You can also apply online or fill in a paper form and post it. For textphone, or video relay service for users of British Sign Language, visit the DWP’s website.

To set up a crowdfunding page, first choose one of the fundraising platforms online. Some popular examples are Crowdfunder, GoFundMe, GoGetFunding and JustGiving. Then create an account, explain what you need the money for, and set a target for how much is needed. Stories, photos, and information about any money that has already been raised can be helpful. Then share the page through social media or any other means you think might be useful.

You should check what the charges would be for the different platforms. Most charge a percentage of the money raised as a fee, but charges vary so it’s worth comparing different websites. It’s also worth factoring in any charges when setting your target.

You should specify what the money you are asking for will be used for. If you would like to use it for extras related to the funeral, but not the actual funeral costs themselves, you should make this clear. If you change your mind about what the money will be used for you should get the consent of people who have already donated.

Most crowdfunding pages will continue to accept donations after you have reached your target. You will be able to keep any money that’s raised less the fees. If you hit your target early, it may be worth revising the target if more money needed and add an update to let people know how the extra money will be spent.

Find the crowdfunding page and click on the donate or support button, choose the amount you wish to give and pay by bank transfer or credit/debit card. You don’t usually need to set up an account and can use a guest option if you wish.

Many funeral directors work with specialist loan companies to arrange payment plans for funerals. There are a few funeral directors who have credit licences and are able to offer these arrangements themselves.

When considering taking out a loan, it is important to consider the payment amounts that will be manageable for you, as well as any interest rates.

You may wish to shop around for the best rates, and consider credit unions.

Please ensure you are borrowing from an authorised lender. Sadly, illegal money lenders (sometimes known as loan sharks) are known to approach families in financial difficulty following a bereavement.

If you think you have borrowed money from an illegal money lender, please contact Stop Loan Sharks

Sadly, illegal money lenders (sometimes known as loan sharks) are known to approach people who they recognise to be in financial difficulty, particularly in distressing times.

Genuine friends may offer to lend you money to help with the funeral costs, but only lenders registered with the Financial Conduct Authority can legally charge interest. If they are not a registered lender, we urge you not to borrow from them. If you think you have borrowed money from an illegal money lender, please contact Stop Loan Sharks.

It is a good idea to shop around to obtain quotes from different funeral directors in your area.  You can also consider different ways to keep costs down, for example by traveling in your own vehicles, or taking care of some elements of the arrangements yourself.

Funeral directors can take care of all the necessary legal and administrative processes and provide the necessary support to those making the funeral arrangements. They can collect the deceased person and take care of their body until the funeral. They can carry out embalming, where this is requested.

Funeral directors will liaise with the crematorium or cemetery and arrange payments as necessary. They can provide options regarding pall bearers (people to carry the coffin), faith leaders or celebrants to lead a ceremony, floral tributes and order of service booklets. On the day of the funeral the funeral director can take the deceased person to the crematorium or ceremony and liaise with the crematorium/cemetery staff, other professionals, and attendees as needed.

We recommend that you obtain quotes from several different funeral directors to compare their costs and services. Funeral directors are required to display all their prices on their websites and in branch, including a Standardised Price List covering set products and services. This is a good place to start comparisons. Do speak to them about your requirements too, so you can also decide if you are comfortable with the level of service you experience.

• When you are advised of the cost, make sure it includes any disbursements or third-party fees, such as the crematorium/cemetery and faith leader/celebrant fee.
• If you are working to a budget, ask funeral directors if they can help you organise a simple funeral within your budget.
• Ask for their payment terms (which must also be displayed on their website and in branch) and be aware that they often ask for a deposit before the funeral can take place, some ask for full payment in advance.
• Tell them if you are applying for the Social Fund Funeral Expenses Payment or Funeral Support Payment, or for any charitable grants, in case they can offer a lower deposit or wait for the outcome of these applications before going ahead.

Yes, you can change funeral directors at any point, however, funeral directors will charge for any services they have already carried out, and there may be other terms to be aware of if you have signed a contract. If the person who has died is already in the care of a funeral director, you will need to arrange with your chosen funeral directors for them to transfer them.

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, funeral directors are almost entirely unregulated. In 2021, the Funerals Market Investigation Order was brought into force by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). It placed several legal requirements on UK funeral directors, including displaying prices online and in branch.

Aside from this, funeral directors can voluntarily join trade bodies like the National Association of funeral directors (NAFD) or the National Society of Allied and Independent funeral directors (SAIF), which require members adhere to industry-designed codes of practice. However, this is not legally binding. You can check if a funeral director is a member of a trade body at the links above. They should also display their logos.

In Scotland, funeral directors are legally required to abide by a Funeral Director Code of Practice.

You don’t have to use a funeral director. Doing all or some of it yourself is also possible.

Embalming is sometimes referred to as ‘presentation’, ‘hygienic preparation’ or ‘preservation’. Embalming aims to temporarily preserve the body of a person who has died, using a combination of chemicals.

Funeral directors may recommend embalming, especially if several weeks have passed since the person died and you want to view them. It may be more advisable in some situations than others, but there is no rule to say that you must have it done. Embalming can affect the person’s colouring and how their skin feels so if you are considering it, ask the funeral director what to expect. Some people prefer not to have it as they feel it can make the person look less natural.

You can view the body of a person who has died who has not been embalmed. Depending on the circumstances of a person’s death and the time that has elapsed since, funeral directors may give advice about seeing the person’s body, however, ultimately it is your choice.

Embalming typically costs between £150 and £300 though this can vary depending on the funeral director, embalmer, and any additional services needed.

In circumstances where there is no-one willing or able to make funeral arrangements for someone who has died, the local authority where the death happened has a legal duty to make the arrangements. These arrangements differ between local authorities and, while most will allow people to attend, sometimes they are restricted to a direct, unattended, cremation.

If someone died in hospital, speak to the bereavement office there first. Sometimes they will carry out a hospital funeral, but they have no obligation to do so and they might refer you to the council.

If you’re not able to pay for a funeral, there are different ways that you can consider raising money towards the funeral costs, for example the estate of the person who has died, government support and grant-giving charities.

In circumstances where there is no-one who can make funeral arrangements for someone who has died, the local authority where the person died has a legal responsibility to make the arrangements. These arrangements differ between local authorities and, while most will allow people to attend, sometimes they are restricted to a direct, unattended cremation.

If someone died in hospital, speak to the bereavement office there first. Sometimes they will carry out a hospital funeral, but they have no obligation to do so and they might refer you to the council.

Often, funeral directors don’t charge for their core services for the funeral of a child, and government support can assist with costs related to cemetery and crematorium fees.

‘Free’ funerals are not generally available for adults. In circumstances when someone has died and there is no-one willing or able to make funeral arrangements for them, the local authority for where they died has a legal duty to make the arrangements.

It is important to recognise that local authorities have the authority to access the deceased person’s estate to recoup their costs from anything they had left when they died, and sometimes arrangements made by a local authority are restricted to a direct, unattended cremation.

If someone died in hospital, speak to the bereavement office there first. Sometimes they will carry out a hospital funeral, but they have no obligation to do so and they might refer you to the council.

Although it is often the closest relative of the person who has died who makes the funeral arrangements, sometimes this isn’t practical or possible.  In these situations, often other family members or close friends will assist, and if there is no-one at all, the local authority where the person died has a legal duty to make the arrangements.

Often, the closest relative to the person who has died will make the funeral arrangements for them, however this is not always possible. Other family members or close friends may choose to make the arrangements. In circumstances where there is no-one willing or able to make funeral arrangements for someone who has died, the local authority where the death happened has a legal duty.

If someone died in hospital, speak to the bereavement office there first. Sometimes they will carry out a hospital funeral, but they have no obligation to do so and they might refer you to the council.