You can apply for a Funeral Support Payment even if you do not use a funeral director.
Funeral and bereavement payments are grants and do not need to be paid back by the person who has made the claim.
Eligibility for funeral payments is dependent on your benefits, not those of the person who has died.
Eligibility
You can apply for the Funeral Support Payment if the deceased lived in the UK when they died, and the funeral is taking place within the UK. In some cases, the funeral can also be held in the EEA, or Switzerland. In exceptional circumstances, the funeral can take place anywhere in the world.
Social Security Scotland look at several things in deciding whether to issue a funeral payment, including:
1. Benefits
You or your partner need to be in receipt of one of the following benefits, or
waiting for a decision on your application for one of these:
• Universal Credit
• Income Support
• Income based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income related Employment and Support Allowance
• Pension Credit
• Housing Benefit
2. Responsibility for the costs
Social Security Scotland assess whether they think it is reasonable for you to take responsibility for the funeral, by considering if you are the nearest relative alongside any other relevant information you provide.
The law sets out an order of relatives, which they use as a guide to determine whether the person applying is the nearest relative. This is not the only thing they consider; each application is looked at individually.
If you are not the nearest relative in law then, to help them make their assessment, Social Security Scotland may ask why you are making the application. If they consider there to be a good reason then the application will continue, but if not, they will reject it.
Some examples of situations where Social Security Scotland might consider it reasonable to have accepted responsibility for the funeral over someone else are:
- You provided care or were a recognised carer for the person who has died;
- You lived with the person who has died;
- You had a close relationship to the person who has died;
- You looked after the person who has died since childhood (kinship care);
- You had Power of Attorney, or were the deceased person’s appointee or legal guardian;
- You are a parent, sibling, relative or friend of the person who has died;
- You are taking responsibility due to particular cultural or religious reasons;
- No one else has accepted responsibility for the funeral – other relatives may have been estranged from/not in touch with the deceased; are not financially or emotionally able to arrange the funeral; or not able to due to health, lifestyle or mental capacity; or are under suspicion in the death of the person.
This is not an exhaustive list and you can find more details in the guidance on Social Security Scotland’s website.
You need to have taken financial responsibility for at least a portion of the funeral bill and, while you don’t have to be the person named on the bill, Social Security Scotland will need to know why if you’re not.
In some circumstances they can pay for part of the bill. For example, where two people are sharing the responsibility of the funeral costs and only one of them receives qualifying benefits, Social Security Scotland could pay towards their portion of the bill.
3. Name on the bill
The applicant usually needs to be named on the funeral bill; if not it will need to be explained why.
What it covers, amounts and deductions
The main costs the Funeral Support Payment contributes towards are:
1. Reasonable burial, cremation or alkaline hydrolysis fees
The Scottish Government have published the average costs they will cover for funerals carried out in Scotland: https://www.mygov.scot/burialcremation-costs-scotland/, which gives an idea of how much they might pay. However, when making an award, they look at the actual costs:
• If the burial, cremation or hydrolysis is more expensive for some reason, e.g. a more expensive grave or cemetery, or for a weekend service, Social Security Scotland will consider whether they believe this to be reasonable.
• If the burial, cremation or hydrolysis is outside of the deceased’s Local Authority area then Social Security Scotland will consider what burial or cremation costs are reasonable.
• If the funeral is taking place outside of Scotland, you will need to call them to get an idea of what they might pay: 0800 182 2222.
2. £1,279.15 toward other funeral expenses
Generally those covered under funeral director’s fees or, if you are going DIY, costs such as the coffin).
3. Death certificates
To release money left by the deceased person.
4. One return journey
A return journey to either arrange or attend the This journey cannot cost more than the cost of a return journey from where you live to where the funeral took place.
5. Transport costs
In some circumstances, transport costs if you need to move the person who died over 49.7miles (80 kilometres)
6. Other elements
Other elements may also be considered, e.g. the cost of a grave liner, transfer of lair title and costs associated with it being out of the deceased’s Local Authority area – as long as the funeral took place in the UK and these additional costs are reasonable. Social Security Scotland will consider if additional costs are reasonable on a case by case basis.
The total amount will be reduced by any money in the deceased person’s estate.
The estate includes funds belonging to the person who died, funeral plans that were not fully paid up or covered a cost that the Funeral Support Payment is designed to cover, insurance policies or lump-sum payments from burial clubs or pensions. However, it does not include
arrears of benefits paid on the date of death or afterwards.
If you pay some of the funeral bill by borrowing money or through contributions from charities, friends, relatives, or crowdfunding this should not affect the amount of the award.
The payment is not a loan and does not need to be paid back. However, if some money in the deceased’s estate becomes available after the funeral payment has been made, you will need to pay that money to Social Security Scotland, up to the amount of the payment.
What happens if there is a pre-paid funeral plan?
If the person who died had a fully paid up pre-paid funeral plan, Social Security Scotland would pay for any reasonable burial or cremation costs that are not covered by the funeral plan. They would contribute up to £156.10 towards other funeral expenses. This is because their funeral plan should help pay for the funeral costs.
The total amount will be reduced by any money in the deceased person’s estate.
The estate includes funds belonging to the person who died, insurance policies or lump-sum payments from burial clubs or pensions. However, it does not include arrears of benefits paid on the date of death or afterwards.
If you pay some of the funeral bill by borrowing money or through contributions from charities, friends, relatives, or crowdfunding this should not affect the amount of the award.
The payment is not a loan and does not need to be paid back. However, if some money in the deceased’s estate becomes available after the funeral payment has been made, you will need to pay that money to Social Security Scotland, up to the amount of the payment.
How to claim
You must make your claim for the Funeral Expenses Payment within 6 months of the date of the funeral.
You can call the Social Security Scotland Bereavement Service helpline on 0800 182 2222 to make your application over the phone.
For alternative ways to claim, including online, post, textphone or British Sign Language, please click below:
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