Government payment available after suffering a family bereavement | Personal Finance | Finance

Households grappling with financial difficulties who have lost a loved one could receive additional support to cover funeral costs. The Funeral Expenses Payment in England and Wales is a government aid that can assist with the expenses of various aspects involved in a funeral, including burial fees, cremation fees, travel for funeral arrangements, death certificates, and transportation of the body within the UK.

Claimants can receive up to £1,000 for extra funeral costs such as the coffin or funeral director fees.

However, this payment is only accessible to those claiming certain benefits or tax credits and those who had a specific relationship with the deceased.

Eligibility for the Funeral Expenses Payment

Eligible benefits

Only a select few benefits will make someone eligible to make a claim, including:

• the disability or severe disability element of Working Tax Credit
• Child Tax Credit
• Pension Credit
• Housing Benefit
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Income Support
• Universal Credit

You could also be eligible if you are receiving a Support for Mortgage Interest loan. Additionally, you do not need to have received a payment for these benefits as the funeral payment is available to those who are awaiting a response to a claim they have made for these benefits.

Even if you are not claiming any benefits, you could still be eligible for the payment if your relationship with the deceased includes:.

• You were the deceased’s partner
• You are the parent of a baby stillborn after 24 weeks of pregnancy
• You are the parent or responsible person for a deceased child under the age of 16 or under 20 if they were in approved education or training.

If you were a close relative or friend of the deceased, you could still receive the payment as long as they did not have a partner at the time of their death or the partner or parent of a deceased child is ineligible to make a claim.

How to make a claim

To make a claim, you must submit an application for the payment within six months of the funeral. In some cases, you can make a claim before the funeral but you must have an invoice or signed contract from a funeral director which is not based on an estimate.

Claims for the Funeral Expense Payment can be made by either dialling 0800 151 2012 or through the post via a SF200 form which can be downloaded and filled in here.

Further information on the Funeral Expenses Payment can be found on GOV.UK here.