UK Funeral Financial Help: Payments, Grants and What to Do If You Can't Afford It

If you are arranging a UK funeral and money is tight, the main government help is the Funeral Expenses Payment in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the Funeral Support Payment in Scotland. Both are for people on certain benefits, and neither usually covers the whole bill. Alongside them, you can ask the bank to pay the funeral director from the person's account, use any pre-paid plan or insurance, or look for a charitable grant.

What help is available for funeral costs?

If you arrange the funeral, you are the one who is responsible for paying the funeral director, whether you are a relative, a close friend or the executor. That is why it helps to line up the money before you sign anything.

Who can get the Funeral Expenses Payment?

The Funeral Expenses Payment covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland. GOV.UK says you can claim if you or your partner get one of these:

• Universal Credit
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Pension Credit
• Housing Benefit
• a Support for Mortgage Interest loan

You can claim while you are still waiting to hear about one of these benefits. You also need the right relationship to the person who died. You qualify if you are their partner, the parent of a baby stillborn after 24 weeks, or the parent or person responsible for a child under 16 (or under 20 and in approved education or training). Close relatives and friends can claim if the person had no partner, or if the partner can't claim, for example because they live abroad or are in prison.

There is a "closer to the deceased" test. GOV.UK says that if a close relative of the person, such as a sibling or parent, is working or isn't getting a qualifying benefit, you might not get a payment. The funeral must be in the UK, the European Economic Area or Switzerland.

How much does the Funeral Expenses Payment pay?

GOV.UK says the payment helps with:

• burial fees for a particular plot
• cremation fees, including the doctor's certificate
• travel to arrange or attend the funeral
• moving the body within the UK, if it is more than 50 miles
• death certificates and other documents
• up to £1,000 for any other funeral expenses, such as the funeral director's fees, flowers or the coffin

If the person had a pre-paid funeral plan, you can only get up to £120 for items the plan doesn't cover. GOV.UK is clear that the payment "will not usually cover all of the costs of the funeral", so plan for a gap. The £1,000 for other costs has to stretch across the funeral director, coffin and flowers.

The payment is deducted from any money you receive from the person's estate. It is not taken from your own income or benefits. In Northern Ireland, nidirect says it looks at money available for the funeral other than your personal savings, and that contributions from charities, friends or relatives are not counted.

How do you claim, and how long does it take?

1. Gather the paperwork. You can claim before the funeral if you have an invoice or signed contract from the funeral director. GOV.UK says it can't be an estimate.
2. Claim within 6 months of the funeral. Do this even if you are still waiting for a decision on a qualifying benefit.
3. Claim by phone or post. Call the Bereavement Service helpline on 0800 151 2012 (Welsh: 0800 731 0453), Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, or download and post form SF200.
4. Wait for the decision. If you get Universal Credit, GOV.UK says you won't get a decision until after your next payment.
5. Appeal if you disagree. You can appeal to the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal.

Northern Ireland has its own claims process, which you can start on nidirect.gov.uk.

What help is there in Scotland?

Scotland has its own Funeral Support Payment, run by Social Security Scotland. You must live in Scotland and you or your partner must get Universal Credit, Income Support, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance or income-related Employment and Support Allowance. You can apply until 6 months after the funeral. The scheme assumes the nearest relative is responsible for costs. If you are not, you explain why when you apply.

For a person aged 18 or over, mygov.scot lists these amounts:

• £1,327.75 towards other funeral costs, or £162.05 if there is a funeral plan
• burial or cremation fees at the local council's rate
• travel costs to arrange or attend the funeral
• moving the body, for the distance over 49.7 miles
• death certificates and medical certificates

The payment is reduced by money you can get from savings, insurance, funeral plans or pensions. Any amount paid is recovered from the estate, not from you. mygov.scot says the average payment is £2,065. The helpline is 0800 182 2222. Amounts are reviewed each year, so check the mygov.scot page before you rely on a figure.

Is there help for a child's funeral?

In England, the Children's Funeral Fund covers a child under 18 or a baby stillborn after 24 weeks, for funerals held in England. It pays burial and cremation fees, and a coffin or shroud up to £300. It is not means-tested, so income and savings don't affect it. If you use a funeral director, the burial or cremation provider and the funeral director claim directly. Claims must be made within 6 months of the funeral. If you need help with other costs, you may also be able to claim the Funeral Expenses Payment. Scotland's Funeral Support Payment also covers children, with separate rules for a person aged 17 or under.

Can you use the person's bank account before probate?

Often, yes. Citizens Advice says you can ask the bank to pay the funeral costs even if the bank froze the account when the person died. You will normally give the bank the funeral director's final invoice, and you can ask for payment to go straight to the funeral director. Banks set their own rules and paperwork, and some may not agree, so call first. If the bank can't help, some funeral directors will agree to wait until the person's money is released. Our UK probate guide explains what happens next.

Where else can money come from?

• A pre-paid plan or insurance. Check the person's papers for a funeral plan, over-50s plan or life insurance. Our guide to UK pre-paid funeral plans explains how they work.
• Charity grants. Turn2us has a grants search for charities that give one-off help, and trade, professional and armed forces charities sometimes support families. Check the person's work history and any union or society membership.
• Veterans UK. Citizens Advice says Veterans UK may help with the cost of a simple funeral for people who received a war disablement pension.
• Family and friends. Agree in writing who is paying what, so there are no disputes later.

If a partner has died, also look at Bereavement Support Payment, which is separate from funeral help.

What if nobody can pay?

Councils in England and Wales have a legal duty to bury or cremate a person if it appears no suitable arrangements are being made. Under section 46 of the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984, the council can try to recover its costs from the estate, and it can't cremate if it has reason to believe that would go against the person's wishes. Citizens Advice says that if nobody arranges a funeral, the local or health authority will arrange a simple funeral. Contact the council's bereavement services before you sign a contract with a funeral director. Our guide to a council funeral in the UK explains what to expect.

How can you bring the cost down?

SunLife's Cost of Dying report for 2026 puts the average simple attended funeral at £3,828 (£3,518 cremation, £4,758 burial) and the average direct funeral, with no ceremony, at £1,628. It found a regional gap, from £3,105 in Northern Ireland to £4,897 in London. SunLife is a funeral plan and insurance provider, so treat its figures as industry estimates.

A direct cremation costs far less than an attended funeral, and many families add a gathering afterwards. See our guides to direct cremation providers in the UK, cremation costs, funeral director costs and low-cost funerals. Ask each funeral director for a written price list and compare at least three.

What to do next

1. Ask the funeral director for an itemized quote, and don't sign until you know where the money will come from.
2. Ask the bank to pay the final invoice from the person's account if there are funds.
3. If you are on a qualifying benefit, claim the Funeral Expenses Payment or Funeral Support Payment within 6 months of the funeral.
4. Use the Tell Us Once service to report the death to government departments in one go.