Facing the cost of a funeral while grieving is one of life’s most difficult situations. If you’re searching for citizens advice help with funeral costs, you’re likely feeling overwhelmed by both the emotional weight of loss and the financial pressure of arranging a dignified send-off. The good news is that support does exist, you just need to know where to find it and how to claim it.
At Go Direct Cremations, we regularly speak with families navigating these exact challenges. Many don’t realise they may qualify for government assistance through schemes like the Funeral Expenses Payment, or that organisations like Citizens Advice can guide them through the application process. Understanding your options early can make a significant difference to the financial burden you face.
This guide walks you through everything you need to know about claiming help with funeral costs. We’ll cover eligibility criteria, what the Funeral Expenses Payment actually covers, how to apply step by step, and alternative sources of support if you don’t qualify. Whether you’re planning ahead or need answers quickly, this article will give you the practical steps to access the help available.
What Citizens Advice means by help with funeral costs
When you search for citizens advice help with funeral costs, you’re actually looking at guidance for accessing government-funded schemes, not direct financial support from Citizens Advice itself. The organisation acts as a trusted source of information, explaining what payments exist, who qualifies, and how to claim them. Citizens Advice doesn’t provide grants or loans, but their advisors can walk you through the forms, challenge rejections, and point you towards additional support if you need it.
The term "help with funeral costs" typically refers to three main types of financial assistance available in the UK. Understanding which one applies to your situation saves time and prevents you from applying for the wrong scheme. Each payment has different eligibility rules, covers different expenses, and comes from different government departments.
The Funeral Expenses Payment explained
The Funeral Expenses Payment is the primary benefit most people think of when they need help. You can claim this if you’re receiving certain qualifying benefits (like Universal Credit or Pension Credit) and you’re responsible for arranging the funeral. This payment is designed to cover the essential costs of a simple funeral, not to fund an elaborate send-off.
You must apply while you’re still receiving one of the qualifying benefits. The payment covers items like cremation fees, burial fees, the cost of moving the deceased (within the UK), and up to £1,000 for other funeral expenses like the coffin or flowers. Crucially, it won’t cover a lavish funeral, a wake at an expensive venue, or a headstone.
The Funeral Expenses Payment is a loan in disguise, because the government will try to recover it from the deceased person’s estate before any inheritance is distributed.
This recovery process happens automatically. If the person who died had money in bank accounts, property, or other assets, the Department for Work and Pensions will claim the payment back. Only if there’s nothing left does the bill stay with the government. Many families don’t realise this until months later when sorting probate.
What the Bereavement Support Payment covers
The Bereavement Support Payment is often confused with funeral help, but it serves a different purpose entirely. This is a tax-free lump sum followed by monthly payments if your spouse or civil partner died and they paid National Insurance contributions. You can use this money however you choose, including towards funeral costs.
You receive £2,500 upfront (or £3,500 if you’re pregnant or have dependent children), followed by eighteen monthly payments. Unlike the Funeral Expenses Payment, this money doesn’t get recovered from the estate. You don’t need to prove you’re paying for the funeral to receive it either.
Where local authority help fits in
Your local council may offer emergency financial assistance if you don’t qualify for the Funeral Expenses Payment. These schemes vary wildly by area. Some councils call them Public Health Funerals, others refer to them as social fund payments or discretionary grants. The amounts are usually small and only cover the absolute basics.
Citizens Advice can tell you whether your council runs such a scheme and how to apply. They can also help if your council refuses support unfairly. However, don’t expect councils to fund anything beyond a basic cremation. Most will only step in if no family member can be traced or if genuine hardship exists.
Step 1. Check which funeral payment applies
Before you begin any application, you need to identify which scheme matches your circumstances. Applying for the wrong payment wastes weeks, and you might miss deadlines for the correct one. The three main options overlap in confusing ways, so taking ten minutes to work through this decision now saves frustration later.
Start with your relationship to the deceased
Your connection to the person who died determines which payments you can claim. If you were their spouse or civil partner, you should first check if you qualify for the Bereavement Support Payment. This isn’t specifically for funerals, but you can put the money towards costs. You need to have been married or in a civil partnership when they died, and they must have paid National Insurance for at least 25 weeks in one tax year.
Apply for the Bereavement Support Payment within three months of the death to get the full amount backdated. You can still claim up to 21 months later, but you lose some monthly payments. This scheme runs separately from funeral help, so you might qualify for both.
Check if you’re paying for the funeral
If you’re not the spouse but you’re organising and paying for the funeral, the Funeral Expenses Payment is your route. This applies whether you’re a parent, child, sibling, close friend, or even just someone who stepped up because no one else would. You must be receiving one of the qualifying benefits like Universal Credit, Income Support, or Pension Credit when you apply.
You can only claim the Funeral Expenses Payment if the funeral hasn’t happened yet or took place within the last three months.
Citizens advice help with funeral costs guides often miss this timing detail, but it’s crucial. If six months have passed since the funeral, you’ve lost your chance to claim.
Know when council help is your only option
Your local authority becomes relevant when you don’t qualify for either government scheme. This typically happens if you earn just above benefit thresholds, you’re not receiving Universal Credit, and the deceased wasn’t your spouse. Councils call these schemes different names, so you’ll need to phone your local authority directly and ask about "public health funerals" or "funeral grants."
Use this simple checklist to decide:
- Were you married or in a civil partnership with them? → Check Bereavement Support Payment first
- Are you on qualifying benefits and arranging the funeral? → Apply for Funeral Expenses Payment
- Do neither of those apply? → Contact your local council about discretionary grants
- Do you qualify for multiple schemes? → Claim all that apply; they don’t usually affect each other
Step 2. Check if you meet the eligibility rules
The eligibility criteria for the Funeral Expenses Payment trip up most applicants. You need to satisfy three separate tests at the same time: you must be on a qualifying benefit, you must have the right relationship to the deceased, and nobody with a closer connection can be available to claim instead. Citizens advice help with funeral costs resources break these down clearly, but applying them to your specific situation requires careful attention.
Which benefits let you claim
You qualify if you receive any one of these benefits when you apply or when the funeral takes place (whichever is later):
- Universal Credit
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Pension Credit
- Housing Benefit
- Child Tax Credit (at a rate higher than the family element)
- Working Tax Credit with a disability or severe disability element
Your partner’s benefits count if you live together. If you stopped receiving benefits the day before you applied, you won’t qualify. The system checks your status on the exact date of your application, so timing matters. You cannot claim if you only receive contribution-based benefits like Statutory Sick Pay or contributory Employment and Support Allowance.
Even if you’re on a qualifying benefit, the Department for Work and Pensions will reject your claim if someone with a closer relationship to the deceased could have claimed instead.
How your relationship affects your claim
You must prove you’re taking responsibility for the funeral costs, not just attending. The government uses a hierarchy to decide who should claim. A spouse or civil partner always takes priority, followed by close relatives who lived with the deceased, then other close relatives, then more distant family or friends.
If the deceased had a partner and you’re their sibling, you need to show the partner cannot or will not pay. This might mean they’re abroad, they’ve refused in writing, or they’re also deceased. You’ll need evidence like email exchanges, statutory declarations, or letters from solicitors proving nobody closer can claim.
What disqualifies you from claiming
You lose eligibility if the deceased left enough money to cover the funeral in their bank accounts or other assets. The payment only exists to help when the estate has insufficient funds. If £5,000 sits in their account, you won’t receive government help regardless of your benefit status.
Timing also disqualifies many claims. You must apply within three months of the funeral date. If four months pass, your application fails automatically. Additionally, if you arranged a funeral outside the UK, you cannot claim the Funeral Expenses Payment at all.
Step 3. Understand what costs the payment covers
The Funeral Expenses Payment splits into two categories: costs it covers in full and costs it contributes up to £1,000 towards. Understanding this split prevents you from planning a funeral the payment won’t actually fund. Citizens advice help with funeral costs guides emphasise this distinction because many applicants assume the payment covers everything, then face unexpected bills after the funeral.
What the payment always covers in full
You receive the actual cost (no upper limit) for these essential items:
- Cremation fees charged by the crematorium, including the medical certificate fees
- Burial fees for purchasing a new grave space or reopening an existing family plot
- Travel costs to transport the deceased from where they died to the funeral director’s premises, then to the crematorium or burial ground (within the UK only)
These three expenses get reimbursed at their real cost. If the crematorium charges £800, you claim £800. If travel costs £300 because the person died far from home, you claim £300. You need receipts or invoices showing the exact amounts paid.
The payment will not cover travel costs if you choose a crematorium or burial ground more than 50 miles from where the person lived, unless you can prove your choice was reasonable.
What the £1,000 additional allowance includes
Beyond the core costs above, you receive up to £1,000 towards other funeral expenses. This single allowance must cover everything else you spend, including:
- Funeral director’s basic fees for collection, care of the deceased, and coordination
- The coffin or casket
- Flowers for the service
- Death certificates (you usually need several copies)
- Minister or celebrant fees
- Printing orders of service
Budget carefully within this £1,000 because it disappears quickly. A basic coffin alone costs £300 to £500, funeral director fees average £1,500 to £2,000, and you might need five death certificates at £12.50 each. Your total funeral costs will likely exceed £1,000, meaning you’ll pay the difference yourself.
What you cannot claim for
The payment explicitly excludes several common expenses families want to arrange. You cannot claim for:
- Flowers beyond basic tribute wreaths
- Catering or venue hire for a wake or reception
- A headstone, memorial plaque, or gravestone
- Limousines for family transport to the funeral
- Newspaper death notices or online tribute pages
- Charitable donations made in the deceased’s name
Plan your funeral around what the payment actually funds rather than what you’d ideally want. The government designed this scheme to ensure a dignified basic funeral happens, not to provide a celebration that reflects the person’s full life and personality.
Step 4. Sort payment and the person’s money first
Before you submit a Funeral Expenses Payment claim, you need to understand how payment flows between the funeral director, the deceased person’s estate, and any government support you receive. Getting this sequence wrong causes delays, rejected claims, and unexpected personal liability for funeral bills. Citizens advice help with funeral costs guidance stresses this step because the Department for Work and Pensions checks whether the deceased left sufficient funds before approving your application.
Check the deceased person’s bank accounts first
Contact every bank and building society where the person held accounts within days of the death. You’ll need to send each institution a copy of the death certificate and ask about the account balances. Banks typically freeze accounts immediately after notification, but most will release funds specifically to pay funeral expenses before probate completes.
Request the bank’s funeral release form and ask how much they’ll release. Most banks pay between £1,000 and £5,000 directly to a funeral director without waiting for probate, though policies vary by institution. If the deceased had £3,000 in their account and the funeral costs £2,500, the Funeral Expenses Payment will reject your claim because sufficient funds existed.
You must use the deceased person’s money to pay for their funeral before claiming government help, even if accessing those funds takes several weeks.
Keep detailed records of every conversation with banks. Note the date, the person you spoke with, and what they agreed to release. Some banks move faster than others, so chase them weekly if they’re delaying.
Decide who pays the funeral director
You have three payment options when arranging the funeral. You can pay upfront yourself and claim reimbursement later, you can ask the funeral director to wait until the Funeral Expenses Payment arrives, or you can arrange for the deceased’s bank to pay directly. Each approach carries different risks.
Paying upfront gives you full control but requires you to have savings available. Funeral directors usually accept this arrangement without question. If you ask them to wait for government payment, expect them to request proof of your benefit status and possibly charge interest. Banks paying directly protects you financially but requires the funeral director to accept delayed payment terms.
Document every payment made
Create a simple spreadsheet tracking every expense related to the funeral. Record the date, what you paid for, who you paid, the amount, and whether you have a receipt. Your claim will fail if you cannot prove costs with actual invoices.
Save digital copies and paper copies of every document. Include bank statements showing money leaving your account, funeral director invoices itemising each service, crematorium receipts, and any quotes you received. The Department for Work and Pensions randomly audits claims, and missing documentation means repaying money you’ve already spent.
Step 5. Gather what you need for the claim
Submitting a Funeral Expenses Payment application without the correct documents causes automatic delays of three to six weeks while the Department for Work and Pensions chases you for missing information. You need to assemble a specific set of papers before you start the online form or post your claim. Citizens advice help with funeral costs pages list these requirements, but gathering them in the right format takes preparation.
Personal documents you must provide
Your claim requires proof of your identity and your benefit status. You’ll need your National Insurance number, which appears on benefit letters, payslips, or your P60 tax document. The system automatically checks your benefit status against government records, but you should have your most recent benefit award letter ready in case the automated check fails.
You must also prove your relationship to the deceased. Provide a copy of the death certificate (not the original, as you’ll need that for other purposes), plus any documents showing your connection. If you were their spouse, include your marriage certificate. If you’re a child, parent, or sibling, a birth certificate works. For friends or distant relatives, written statements from closer family members confirming they cannot pay strengthen your application.
Keep photocopies or scanned versions of every document you submit, because the Department for Work and Pensions rarely returns original papers.
Evidence of funeral costs and payments
Attach itemised invoices from your funeral director showing exactly what you paid for and how much each element cost. A single total figure without breakdown will trigger a rejection. Your invoice should list the cremation fee separately, the coffin separately, transport separately, and the funeral director’s professional fees separately.
Include proof you’ve explored the deceased person’s finances. Banks won’t always provide written confirmation of account balances, but if they do, add it to your claim. If the person left no money or assets, write a clear statement explaining this. You might also need evidence that no one closer could claim instead, such as a statutory declaration or a letter from the next of kin declining responsibility.
A checklist before you submit
Work through this list before starting your application:
- Death certificate (certified copy, not original)
- Your National Insurance number and benefit reference
- Proof of relationship (marriage certificate, birth certificate, or statutory declaration)
- Funeral director’s itemised invoice with individual cost breakdowns
- Crematorium or burial ground receipt showing fees paid
- Transport receipts if you arranged collection separately
- Bank statements showing payments you made from your account
- Written confirmation from closer relatives that they cannot or will not claim
- Evidence of the deceased’s bank balances (if available)
- Any quotes you received that show you chose reasonable funeral costs
Missing any single item from this list extends processing time by weeks. Gather everything first, then complete the application in one session rather than stopping halfway through.
Step 6. Apply and avoid common delays
You submit your Funeral Expenses Payment claim through GOV.UK online or by posting form SF200 to the Department for Work and Pensions. The online route processes faster (typically eight to twelve weeks) while postal applications take ten to sixteen weeks. You cannot speed up the decision once submitted, but you can prevent delays by avoiding the mistakes that cause most rejections or requests for more information.
How to submit your application
Start at the GOV.UK website and search for "Funeral Expenses Payment". The online form takes thirty to forty minutes if you have all documents ready. You’ll need to upload scanned copies or clear photos of your evidence as JPEG or PDF files under 5MB each. The system saves your progress automatically, so you can stop and return later if needed.
Complete every mandatory field accurately. The form asks for the deceased person’s National Insurance number, the date and place of death, and detailed funeral costs broken down by category. If you leave boxes empty or enter vague descriptions like "funeral services" instead of itemised costs, expect the Department for Work and Pensions to contact you for clarification. That adds three to four weeks to your wait time.
Paper applications require you to print form SF200, fill it by hand in black ink, and post it with your supporting documents to Funeral Expenses Payment, Mail Handling Site A, Wolverhampton WV98 2BS. Always send documents by signed-for delivery so you have proof of posting. Keep photocopies because you won’t get originals back.
Citizens advice help with funeral costs resources confirm that incomplete applications cause 60% of all processing delays, so double-checking your form before submission matters more than rushing to apply quickly.
Common delays you can prevent
Applicants trigger rejections by claiming for funerals that haven’t happened yet when they apply more than three months before the planned date. You can apply once the funeral director confirms the arrangements, but the system needs an actual funeral date. Applying too early means starting again later.
Another frequent mistake involves claiming for costs someone else paid. If your sister paid the funeral director but you’re claiming the benefit, you need written confirmation from her that she expects you to reimburse her. Without this evidence, the Department for Work and Pensions assumes no financial burden falls on you.
Watch for these specific errors that extend processing time:
- Uploading receipts in formats other than PDF or JPEG
- Providing estimates instead of final invoices
- Forgetting to sign the declaration section
- Using abbreviations for names or addresses
- Claiming for funerals outside the UK
- Applying from a different benefit claim that hasn’t been awarded yet
Check your benefit status updates weekly during the claim period. If your circumstances change (you stop receiving Universal Credit, for example), notify the Funeral Expenses Payment team immediately on 0800 731 0469. Changes reported late invalidate your entire application.
A simple plan for getting support
Claiming citizens advice help with funeral costs follows a clear sequence: identify which payment scheme matches your circumstances, check your eligibility against the qualifying benefits list, understand what costs get covered, handle the deceased person’s finances first, gather all required documents, then submit your application carefully to avoid delays.
Start your claim within weeks of the death, not months later. The three-month deadline after the funeral applies strictly, and benefit status checks happen on your application date. Missing either deadline means losing financial support you might genuinely need.
If the Funeral Expenses Payment doesn’t cover your needs or you don’t qualify for government schemes, consider a direct cremation instead. This option removes many of the costs that traditional funerals create while still providing dignity and respect. Direct cremation services offer a simpler, more affordable alternative that lets you plan a personal memorial when the time feels right, without the immediate financial pressure of a full ceremony.