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Who is eligible?

You may be able to get a Funeral Payment but it depends on the benefits you're getting, your relationship with the person who died and any other money, other than your personal savings, that may be available to help with the cost of the funeral.

Benefits and tax credits

You may be eligible for a Funeral Payment from the Social Fund if you or your partner are getting any of the following benefits or tax credits:

The term 'partner' is used here to mean:

• Income Support

• Employment and Support Allowance (disabled people section)

• Council Tax Benefit

• Jobseeker's Allowance

• Pension Credit

Relationship with the person who has died

To be able to get a Funeral Payment you must also be either:

Other money available

When how much help you can get is worked out, how much money (other than your personal savings) is available to help you with the cost of the funeral will also be looked at.

This could include money available from the estate of the person who died, contributions received and money from, for example, insurance policies, but does not include the social security Bereavement Payment or money from certain government-funded trusts.

• Bereavement Payment

For UK residents and funerals

To be eligible, the person who died must have been ordinarily resident in the UK and the funeral must usually be in the UK.

Who isn't eligible?

You can't get a payment as a close relative or close friend of the deceased if either:

How much do you get?

A Funeral Payment includes the necessary burial or cremation fees. This includes the:

• cost of a new grave
• burial fees
• cost of the exclusive right of burial in the plot, which is often referred to as the 'burial rights'

For more information about 'burial rights' please contact your local authority.

• Find your local authority Opens new window

It also includes certain other specified expenses and up to £700 for any other funeral expenses, like the:

• funeral director's fees
• coffin or flowers

If the person who died had a pre-paid funeral plan, you'll only get help for items not already covered by the plan.

You can get full details of what the Funeral Payment covers on pages six and seven of the claim form (SF200) that you can download, below.

• Download 'Funeral Payment SF200' (PDF, 122K) Opens new window

• Help with PDF files

How Funeral Payments are paid

All benefits, pensions and allowances are paid into the account of your choice, for example your bank account. This is the safest, most convenient and efficient method of payment. All benefits, pensions and allowances are paid into an account.

If you choose to use the services of a funeral director the Funeral Payment will usually be paid directly into the funeral director's bank account. If the funeral director's bill has been paid the payment will be made to you.

If you don't use a funeral director, the Funeral Payment will usually be paid directly into the account of your choice. You will be asked to provide evidence of the costs you have incurred.

• How benefits and pensions are paid

Effect on other benefits

There is no effect on other benefits from having a Funeral Payment.

How to Claim

You can ask for a Funeral Payment claim form by contacting your local Jobcentre Plus office.

You can also download the claim form (form SF200) from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) website.

The form comes with notes to help you fill it in. Once you have completed the form please send or take it to your local Jobcentre Plus office.

• Find your local Jobcentre Plus office Opens new window

• Download 'Funeral Payment SF200' (PDF,122K) Opens new window

• Help with PDF files Opens new window

How to claim if you live in Northern Ireland

If you live in Northern Ireland you can apply for a Funeral Payment by completing claim form SF200.

To get a Northern Ireland claim form, contact the Social Security office. You can also download a claim form from the nidirect government services website.

• Download 'Funeral Payment SF200 for Northern Ireland' (PDF, 3600K) Opens new window

• Help with PDF files Opens new window

• Contact the Social Security Agency Opens new window

When to claim

You must claim a Funeral Payment from the date of death and up to three months after the date of the funeral.

If you are waiting for a decision on a qualifying benefit or entitlement you must still claim within the time limits above.

You can make a claim before the funeral takes place if the funeral director is willing to produce an itemised invoice as evidence of a contract. An estimate is not acceptable.

Repayment of the Funeral Payment

If you get a Funeral Payment, it will have to be paid back from any estate of the person who died. The estate means any money, property and other things that the deceased person owned. A house or personal things that are left to a widow, widower or surviving civil partner will not be counted as part of the estate.

Disputes and appeals

If you want to know more about the decision or you think it is wrong please contact Jobcentre Plus within one month of the date of the decision letter. If you contact Jobcentre Plus later they may not be able to help you.

You, or someone else who has the authority to act on your behalf, can:

• ask for an explanation
• ask for a written statement of reasons for the decision
• ask Jobcentre Plus to look again at the decision to see if it can be changed, there may be some facts you think they have overlooked or you may have more information which affects the decision
• appeal against the decision to an independent tribunal - this must be in writing

You can do any of the actions listed above, or you can do all of them.

• Find your local Jobcentre Plus office Opens new window

• How to appeal against a benefits decision

More useful links

• Bereavement benefits

• Arranging a funeral (rights and responsibilities section)

• What happens to debts when someone dies?

• Inheritance Tax, estates and trusts

• Making a will (rights and responsibilities section)

• Crisis Loans