Finding the money

Funeral can be expensive. So remember to check where the money for the funeral will come from before making any arrangements. Otherwise you may have to the bill yourself. Check whether the deceased person has contributed to schemes to pay the funeral.

If you are getting any of these social security benefits: income support, income-based jobseeker’s Allowance, Working Families’ Tax Credit, Disabled person’s Tax credit, Housing Benefit or council tax benefit, you may be able to get a payment from the Social Fund to help pay for the funeral.

If no one is able or willing to arrange and pay for the funeral, the local council, or in some cases, the health authority may do so, but only where the funeral has not already been arranged.

Employer's pensions, personal pensions

Some employers provide occupational pension schemes that pay a lump sum to help with funeral costs and sometimes pension benefits for widows and other survivors. Check to see if the deceased has ever belonged to this sort of scheme. 
 
The deceased may have made his own arrangements if he or she was self-employed, or his or her employer did not have an employer’s pension scheme. 
 
If the deceased was receiving a pension from a previous job, find out who is paying it. It might be the employer’s pension scheme or an insurance company. Tell the representative of the pension scheme of the death, and if there is a widow, widower, dependant child or other dependant, since they may be able to get a pension. If they already receive a pension they may be able to get further pensions.
 
Find out if there was pension due to be paid on retirement from a previous employer.  If there is a pension you should check who is responsible for paying it, for example the employer or an insurance company. 
 
If you have difficulty in finding the employer (or whoever has taken over responsibility for the pension if the employer has given this responsibility up) you can get help from:
 
The Pension Scheme Registry
Po Box 1NN
Newcastle Upon Tyne NE99 1NN
Telephone: (0191) 225 6394

There may be pensions or lump sums payable from the deceased’s trade union, professional body or other association, or from a provident club which pays benefit when a member dies. 
 
If the deceased was receiving or recently claimed a social security benefit before death, there may be arrears of that benefit still due. 
 
If you are the executor or administrator, the arrears will be payable to you.  If there is no executor or administrator but you are paying for the funeral, you can claim the arrears up to cost of the funeral expenses.

The deceased may have taken out a life insurance policy which will provide a lump sum payment if someone dies before a certain age. Payment is usually made after probate but the insurance company may pay out a limited sum on evidence of death.

If you are having trouble paying for a funeral that you have to arrange, you may be able to get a Social Fund Funeral Payment to help you with the cost

A Funeral Payment will cover the costs of a simple, respectful, low cost funeral, normally within the UK. The DSS will pay the charges of the burial authority or crematorium, certain necessary travel expenses and up to £600 for other funeral expenses. (you may not be entitled to a payment if expenses have been met by a pre-paid funeral plan.) 
 
A Funeral Payment may be reduced in certain circumstances. In particular, the following will be deducted from an award:
* Any assets of the deceased available to you or your partner
* Any lump sum due on the death of the deceased for funeral costs
* Any contribution for the funeral from a charity or relative (of both yourself and the deceased)
* Any funeral grant where the deceased was a war pensioner.

If you get a Funeral Payment, it will have to be paid back from any estate of the deceased. The estate means any money property and other thinks like insurance policies that the deceased owned. A house or personal possessions that are left to a widow or widower are not counted as part of the estate

The hospital may arrange the funeral of someone who dies in hospital if the deceased's relatives cannot be traced or cannot afford to pay for it. They may make a claim on the deceased's estate to pay for the funeral.

Help from the council
 
The local council has duty to bury or cremate the deceased if no other arrangements have been made. If they have reason to believe that the deceased did not wish to be cremated, they will not do so. 

They may make a claim on the deceased’s estate to pay for the funeral. 
 
If the hospital has reason to believe that the deceased’s relative are able unwilling to pay, council in whose area the body lies should be asked to arrange the funeral.