# Help paying for a funeral: every UK scheme explained

> If you get a qualifying benefit such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit, you can claim a Funeral Expenses Payment in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, or a Funeral Support Payment in Scotland. These cover burial or cremation fees plus a fixed amount for other costs. Claim within six months of the funeral. Children's funerals get separate, non-means-tested help.

Source: https://funeralfinder.org/uk/guides/help-paying-for-a-funeral/ — updated 2026-09-25 — FuneralFinder

A funeral can be one of the largest bills a family ever faces, and it often arrives when money is already stretched. There is more help available than many people realise, from government payments to support from the estate and charities. This guide sets out every main scheme across the UK, who can get it and how to claim.

**Key points**

- The **Funeral Expenses Payment** (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) covers burial or cremation fees plus **up to £1,000** for other costs. You need to get a qualifying benefit.
- Scotland's **Funeral Support Payment** covers burial, cremation or hydrolysis costs plus **currently £1,327.75** for other costs. This amount is uprated each April.
- Claims for both must be made **within six months of the funeral**.
- **Children's funerals** have separate help in all four nations, and none of it is means-tested.
- Banks will usually **release money from the deceased's account** to pay a funeral invoice before probate.
- If no one can arrange or pay for a funeral, the council must arrange a **public health funeral**.

## Help at a glance: every scheme by nation

| Scheme | Where | Who can get it | What it pays | Time limit | How to claim |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funeral Expenses Payment | England and Wales | People getting a qualifying benefit who are responsible for the funeral | Burial or cremation fees, some travel and transport, documents, plus up to £1,000 for other costs (£120 if there is a prepaid plan) | 6 months after the funeral | Phone 0800 151 2012 or form SF200 |
| Funeral Expenses Payment | Northern Ireland | As above, under Northern Ireland rules | Burial or cremation fees and other costs, including up to £1,000 for items such as funeral director's fees | 6 months after the funeral | Bereavement Service, 0800 085 2463, or a paper form |
| Funeral Support Payment | Scotland | Scottish residents getting a qualifying benefit | Burial, cremation or hydrolysis costs, plus £1,327.75 for other costs (£162.05 if there is a funeral plan) | 6 months after the funeral | Social Security Scotland, 0800 182 2222, online or by paper form |
| Children's Funeral Fund for England | England | Anyone arranging a funeral for a child under 18, or a baby stillborn after 24 weeks | Burial or cremation fees, plus up to £300 for a coffin, shroud or casket | 6 months after the funeral | Usually claimed directly by the burial or cremation provider and funeral director |
| Child funeral scheme | Wales | Families living in Wales who lose a child under 18 (including stillbirth after 24 weeks) | Council and community council burial and cremation fees waived, plus a £500 payment | Offered at registration; up to 12 months to accept | The registrar offers it when the death is registered |
| Child Funeral Fund | Northern Ireland | The person responsible for the funeral of a child under 18 or a baby stillborn after 24 weeks | A one-off payment of £3,441 | 6 months after the funeral | Bereavement Service or an application form |
| Council fee waiver | Scotland | Families of babies, children and young people under 18, including stillborn babies | Council burial and cremation fees usually not charged | – | Arranged with the council, usually by the funeral director |
| Bereavement Support Payment | UK-wide | A spouse, civil partner or eligible cohabiting partner under State Pension age | £2,500 plus 18 monthly payments of £100, or £3,500 plus 18 of £350 at the higher rate | Claim within 3 months for the full amount; usually 21 months at the latest | Bereavement Service |

## Funeral Expenses Payment (England and Wales)

The Funeral Expenses Payment is run by the Department for Work and Pensions. You may qualify if **you or your partner** get:

- Universal Credit
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Pension Credit
- Housing Benefit.

You may also qualify if you get a Support for Mortgage Interest loan. You can apply while you are waiting for a decision on one of these benefits.

**Relationship rules.** You can usually claim if you were the person's partner, or the parent of a stillborn baby or of a child who died. A close relative or close friend can claim if there was no partner, or if the partner can't claim. You may not get a payment if another close relative, such as a sibling, is in work or does not get a qualifying benefit. The funeral must take place in the UK, the European Economic Area or Switzerland.

**What it covers:**

- burial fees for a plot and interment, or cremation fees
- 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 other costs, such as the funeral director's fees, the coffin or flowers.

If the person had a **prepaid funeral plan**, you can only get up to **£120** for items the plan doesn't cover.

**Good to know.** The payment is recovered from the estate of the person who died, if there is money available. It is reduced by any money you can get from the estate or from insurance. SunLife's 2026 research found that, on average, the payment covered around half (48%) of the total funeral cost. So it helps to keep the funeral simple and to [compare prices](/uk/funeral-costs/).

## Funeral Expenses Payment (Northern Ireland)

Northern Ireland has its own Funeral Expenses Payment with similar benefit and relationship rules, and the same **up to £1,000** for other costs. It can also cover a funeral in the **Republic of Ireland** if the person normally lived in Northern Ireland. Claim within six months of the funeral by calling the **Bereavement Service on 0800 085 2463**, or by using the form on nidirect.

## Funeral Support Payment (Scotland)

In Scotland, the Funeral Support Payment replaced the Funeral Expenses Payment. It is run by **Social Security Scotland**. You must live in Scotland, and you or your partner must get one of these:

- Universal Credit
- Income Support
- Pension Credit
- Housing Benefit
- income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance.

Usually the nearest relative is expected to take responsibility. If you are not the nearest relative, you will be asked to explain why you are arranging the funeral. The payment covers:

- burial, cremation or **hydrolysis** (water cremation) costs
- some travel to arrange or attend the funeral
- moving the body more than 49.7 miles within the UK
- certificates and some medical costs, such as removing a pacemaker
- **currently £1,327.75** for other funeral costs, or **£162.05** if there is a funeral plan. These amounts are uprated each April.

mygov.scot says the average payment is about £2,065. You can apply any time from the death until **six months after the funeral**, by calling **0800 182 2222**, online or on a paper form. The money can be paid to you or to the funeral director.

## Help with children's funerals

Losing a child is devastating, and every UK nation has help that does not depend on income (see the table above). In **England**, the Children's Funeral Fund pays the fees directly, so families are not charged. In **Wales**, the registrar offers the £500 payment at registration. In **Scotland**, council burial and cremation are usually free for under-18s and stillborn babies. In **Northern Ireland**, the Child Funeral Fund pays £3,441. Some funeral directors also reduce or waive their own charges for children, so it is worth asking. See our guide to [a funeral for a baby or child](/uk/guides/funeral-for-a-baby-or-child/).

## Bereavement Support Payment

If your husband, wife, civil partner or, in some circumstances, cohabiting partner died while you were under State Pension age, you may get **Bereavement Support Payment**. The higher rate (£3,500 plus 18 monthly payments of £350) applies if you get Child Benefit or were pregnant. Otherwise the standard rate is £2,500 plus 18 payments of £100. It is not means-tested, and many families use it towards the funeral. Claim **within three months** of the death to get the full amount.

## Paying from the estate

If the person who died left money, the funeral can normally be paid for from their estate. Reasonable funeral costs are paid before most other debts.

- **Banks and building societies.** Most will pay a funeral director's invoice directly from the deceased's account before probate is granted (or confirmation in Scotland). You will usually need the itemised invoice and a copy of the death certificate. They are not obliged to do this, so contact them early. Each bank sets its own rules — this guide to [bank accounts after a death](https://swiftwill.co.uk/bank-accounts-after-death/) explains what usually happens to sole and joint accounts.
- **Insurance and pensions.** Check for life insurance, an over-50s policy, a workplace death-in-service benefit or a pension lump sum. Some can be paid quickly to help with funeral costs.
- **Funeral plans.** Look through the person's paperwork for a prepaid plan. See our guide to [funeral plans](/uk/guides/funeral-plans/).

If you pay upfront yourself, keep every receipt so you can be repaid from the estate. Our guide [do I need probate?](/uk/guides/do-i-need-probate/) explains the next steps.

## Paying the funeral director in instalments

Many funeral directors will agree a **payment plan**. SunLife's 2026 report found that 24% of families now pay in instalments, up from 19%. Get the full terms in writing, including any interest, fees and what happens if you miss a payment, and avoid high-cost credit if you can.

## Other sources of help

- **Quaker Social Action's Down to Earth** service gives free, confidential advice to people on low incomes who are struggling to pay for a funeral anywhere in the UK. It offers one-to-one support before the funeral takes place.
- **Employers, trade unions, professional bodies and armed forces charities** sometimes help members' families.
- **Crowdfunding** from friends and your community is another option some families use.
- **Keeping costs down**, for example with a [direct cremation](/uk/direct-cremation/) and your own memorial, can close the gap between the help available and the bill.

## If no one can pay

If there is no one able or willing to arrange a funeral, the local council has a legal duty to arrange a simple one. This is known as a **public health funeral**. Contact the council **before** you instruct a funeral director, because many councils won't step in once arrangements have started. See our [public health funerals guide](/uk/guides/public-health-funerals/).

## Where to get help

- Check what you could get with our [help with funeral costs tool](/uk/tools/help-with-funeral-costs/).
- Compare prices with our [funeral director directory](/uk/funeral-directors/) and [funeral cost calculator](/uk/tools/funeral-cost-calculator/).
- Read [funeral costs in the UK](/uk/funeral-costs/) for average prices and money-saving ideas.
- Start at the beginning with [what to do when someone dies](/uk/what-to-do-when-someone-dies/).

## Frequently asked questions

### Can I claim a Funeral Expenses Payment before the funeral?

Yes. You can claim before the funeral if you have an invoice or a signed contract from the funeral director. An estimate is not enough. You can also claim afterwards, up to six months after the funeral.

### Does the Funeral Expenses Payment have to be paid back?

You don't repay it yourself, but it is recovered from the estate of the person who died if there is money in it, such as savings or a property. It is also reduced by any money you can get from the estate, insurance or a funeral plan.

### Who pays for a funeral if there is no money?

If family members get qualifying benefits, government help may cover much of a simple funeral. If nobody is able or willing to arrange a funeral, the local council has a legal duty to arrange a simple [public health funeral](/uk/guides/public-health-funerals/).

### Can the bank pay for the funeral from the deceased's account?

Usually, yes. Most banks and building societies will pay a funeral director's invoice directly from the account before probate (or confirmation in Scotland), if you give them the invoice and a copy of the death certificate. They don't have to, so ask early.

### Is the Children's Funeral Fund means-tested?

No. In England, the Children's Funeral Fund pays burial or cremation fees and up to £300 towards a coffin for anyone under 18 or a baby stillborn after 24 weeks, whatever the family's income. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own non-means-tested support.

### What is the difference between Bereavement Support Payment and Funeral Expenses Payment?

Funeral Expenses Payment helps with the cost of the funeral and depends on benefits. Bereavement Support Payment is paid to a husband, wife, civil partner or eligible cohabiting partner under State Pension age after their partner dies. It is not means-tested and is not tied to the funeral bill.

## Sources

- [GOV.UK – Funeral Expenses Payment](https://www.gov.uk/funeral-payments)
- [GOV.UK – Funeral Expenses Payment: eligibility](https://www.gov.uk/funeral-payments/eligibility)
- [GOV.UK – Funeral Expenses Payment: how to claim](https://www.gov.uk/funeral-payments/how-to-claim)
- [nidirect – Funeral Expenses Payments](https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/funeral-expenses-payments)
- [nidirect – The Child Funeral Fund](https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/child-funeral-fund)
- [mygov.scot – Funeral Support Payment](https://www.mygov.scot/funeral-support-payment)
- [mygov.scot – Funeral Support Payment: who can apply and when](https://www.mygov.scot/funeral-support-payment/who-can-apply-and-when)
- [mygov.scot – Burial, cremation and hydrolysis costs](https://www.mygov.scot/burial-cremation-costs-scotland)
- [GOV.UK – Children's Funeral Fund for England](https://www.gov.uk/child-funeral-costs)
- [GOV.WALES – Child funeral and other related costs](https://www.gov.wales/child-funeral-and-other-related-costs-information-html)
- [GOV.UK – Bereavement Support Payment](https://www.gov.uk/bereavement-support-payment)
- [MoneyHelper – Help paying for a funeral](https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/family-and-care/death-and-bereavement/help-paying-for-a-funeral)
- [Quaker Social Action – Down to Earth funeral costs helpline](https://quakersocialaction.org.uk/we-can-help/helping-funerals/down-earth/uk-funeral-costs)
- [SunLife – Cost of Dying Report 2026](https://www.sunlife.co.uk/over-50-life-insurance/funeral-costs/)