Paying for a funeral can be expensive, and research shows that the average funeral arranged using a funeral director costs over £4,000.
The Funeral Expenses Payment or Funeral Payment is a government scheme for people on low incomes, and receiving certain benefits to help them pay for a funeral.
If you receive a Funeral Expenses Payment to help pay funeral costs (usually for a close relative or friend) and there is money left in the deceased’s estate, then any payment received will usually have to be reimbursed to the government.
The deceased’s estate includes, any money or property they had but not a house or personal items left to a widow, widower or surviving civil partner.
Funeral Expenses Payment can help to pay for some of the costs of the following:
- Burial fees for a particular plot
- Cremation fees, including the cost of the doctor’s certificate
- Travel to arrange or go to the funeral
- The cost of moving the body within the UK, if it’s being moved more than 50 miles
- Death certificates or other documents
You can also get up to £700 for any other funeral expenses, such as funeral director’s fees, flowers or the coffin. The payment will not usually cover all of the costs of the funeral.
