Arranging a funeral is difficult enough emotionally without having to worry about the cost. If you find that you’re struggling to pay for the cost of a funeral, you may be eligible for help from the government.

There are a number of options which may be available to help pay towards a loved one’s funeral cost.

The government offers a Social Fund scheme which supports people on low income with essential funeral costs. If your loved one has an estate the payment is recoverable from there.

To be eligible to make a Social Fund claim you must:

• Be responsible for arranging the funeral
• Receive benefits or tax credits (Universal Credit, JSA, ESA etc)
• Claim within the date of death and up to 3 months after the date of the funeral
• Be the partner of the deceased when they died
• Be a close relative or close friend of the deceased
• Be the parent of a baby stillborn after 24 weeks of pregnancy
• Be the parent or person responsible for a deceased child who was under 16 (or under 20 and in approved education or training)

Please be aware that:

• You must make a claim before the funeral if you’ve got a preliminary invoice from the funeral director. You can’t make a claim if you’ve only been given an estimate.
• If you receive Universal Credit, you won’t get a decision on your claim until after your next payment.

The Social Fund can contribute financially to the following:

• Burial fees and exclusive rights to a burial at your chosen plot
• Cremation fees, including the cost of the doctor’s certificate
• Up to £700 for funeral expenses such as funeral director’s fees, flowers, and the coffin
• Travel costs for the funeral arrangements
• The costs of moving the body more than 50 miles

For more information please contact the Social Fund on 0345 603 6967 or visit the website https://www.gov.uk/funeral-payments.

A Bereavement Payment is a one-off, tax-free lump sum payment of £2,000. You may be able to claim Bereavement Payment if, when your husband, wife or civil partner died, you were either:

• Under State Pension age
• Over State Pension age and your husband, wife or civil partner wasn’t entitled to a State Pension based on their own national insurance contributions

A Bereavement Payment is a one-off, tax-free lump sum payment of £2,000. You may be able to claim Bereavement Payment if, when your husband, wife or civil partner died, you were either:

• Paid enough National Insurance contributions
• Died because of an industrial accident or disease

For more information please contact the Bereavement Payment team on 0345 606 0265 or visit the website https://www.gov.uk/bereavement-payment.

You may be eligible for a Budgeting Loan - an interest-free loan for those on income-related benefits, to help pay towards a funeral - if:

• You, your husband, wife or civil partner have been receiving certain benefits for at least 26 weeks (Income Support, JSA, ESA, Pension Credit)

The repayments will come directly from your benefits and you will only pay back what you’ve borrowed.

For more information please visit the website https://www.gov.uk/budgeting-help-benefits.