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Help with Pay

Plan and Budget for the Funeral Costs

1. What To Do When Somebody Dies2. Register the Death3. Understand Wills, Funeral Wishes4. Notify Government5. Help with Pay6. Burial or Cremation?7. Funeral Service and Venue8. Personalise the Service9. On the Day10. After the funeral
Person reviewing notes and expenses at a desk

Discussing money is often psychologically stressful, but understanding the costs, funding sources, and available help is essential for peace of mind.

A. Understanding What Makes Up Funeral Costs

Funeral costs are generally broken into two main parts:

  1. Funeral Director's Fees: This covers professional services for arranging the funeral, care of the deceased, and transport such as the hearse.
  2. Disbursements (Third-Party Costs): These are non-negotiable fees the funeral director pays on the family's behalf, such as crematorium or burial plot fees and officiant fees.

B. How to Pay for the Funeral (The 3 Main Ways)

There are various ways to pay for a funeral, these are:

  1. From the Deceased's Estate (The Standard Way): The funeral is a priority debt paid from the estate's assets. Most banks have a dedicated bereavement team and will pay the funeral invoice directly from the deceased's bank account before probate is granted. The arranger usually needs to provide the bank with the funeral director's invoice and an original death certificate.
  2. From a Prepaid Funeral Plan or Insurance Policy: If the deceased had a funeral plan or policy, this may cover some of the costs.
  3. By You or Other Family Members: If there are no other funds set aside for the funeral, you and other family members and friends may have to pay for the funeral costs yourself. If there is an estate, you and the family can claim this cost back from the estate. This expense must be reimbursed first, before any other debts are settled.

C. What to Do If You Have Trouble Paying

If there is not enough money in the estate, government support is available.

  • Funeral Expenses Payment: This government grant is for people on specific benefits and can help with burial or cremation fees and up to a capped contribution toward other funeral costs.
  • The Children's Funeral Fund for England (CFF): This fund is available for the funeral of a child under 18 or a stillborn after at least 24 weeks of pregnancy, and pays for burial or cremation fees and related necessary costs.
  • Public Health Funeral (Environmental Health Funeral): If there is no family, or no one able or willing to pay, the local council has a legal duty to arrange a simple, basic cremation.