Worrying about how to pay for a funeral is one of the hardest parts of an early loss, and you do not have to work it out alone. A Funeral Expenses Payment is a government payment in England, Wales and Northern Ireland that helps with funeral costs if you, or your partner, get certain benefits and you are responsible for the funeral. You must apply within 6 months of the funeral.
Who pays for a funeral in the UK?
In practice, the person who arranges the funeral and signs the contract with the funeral director is responsible for the bill. Citizens Advice puts it simply: "If you arrange the funeral, you have to pay for it." That person can usually be repaid from the money the person who died left behind. Under section 34(3) of the Administration of Estates Act 1925, funeral expenses are paid out of the estate, and even when an estate cannot pay all its debts, reasonable funeral expenses come before other debts, according to article 4 of the Administration of Insolvent Estates of Deceased Persons Order 1986.
Before you look for outside help, check whether there is a funeral plan, a life insurance policy or money in the person's bank account. Citizens Advice notes that you can ask the bank to pay the funeral costs from the account, even if the bank froze the accounts when the person died. The wider picture of what a funeral costs is in our guide to funeral costs in the UK.
Who can claim a Funeral Expenses Payment?
According to GOV.UK's eligibility rules, three things must all be true. You or your partner get a qualifying benefit, you meet the rules on your relationship with the person who died, and the funeral takes place in the UK, the European Economic Area or Switzerland.
The qualifying benefits listed on GOV.UK (checked October 2026) are:
Universal Credit
income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Pension Credit
Housing Benefit
You might also qualify if you get a Support for Mortgage Interest loan. You can claim while you are still waiting for a decision on one of these benefits, so a pending application is not a reason to delay.
How does the relationship test work?
The relationship test is the part that surprises people most. You might qualify if you were the partner of the person who died, the parent of a baby stillborn after 24 weeks of pregnancy, or the parent or person responsible for a child who died under 16, or under 20 and in approved education or training.
A close relative or close friend can sometimes claim instead, but only if the person who died had no partner, or the partner or parent cannot claim, for example because they live abroad or are in prison. The rest of the family matters too. GOV.UK warns that you might not be eligible if a close relative, such as a sibling or parent of the person who died, is working or not getting a qualifying benefit. If you are not the nearest relative, be ready to explain why you took on the funeral.
What does a Funeral Expenses Payment cover?
The payment is made up of necessary costs plus a capped amount for everything else. According to GOV.UK (checked October 2026), it can help pay for:
burial fees for a particular plot
cremation fees, including the cost of the doctor's certificate
travel to arrange or go to the funeral
the cost of moving the body within the UK, if it is being moved more than 50 miles
death certificates or other documents
On top of that, you can get up to £1,000 for other funeral expenses, such as the funeral director's fees, flowers or the coffin. If the person who died had a pre-paid funeral plan, you can only get up to £120 for items the plan does not cover.
The payment will not usually cover the whole funeral. SunLife's Cost of Dying Report 2026 found that, for the funeral organisers it surveyed who received one, a Funeral Expenses Payment covered about 48% of total funeral costs on average. It helps to plan for the gap from the start, for example by choosing a simpler service or a direct cremation, and by asking the funeral director about payment by instalments.
Is the money paid back from the estate?
Yes, in most cases. GOV.UK says the Funeral Expenses Payment will be deducted from any money you get from the estate of the person who died. The estate includes any money or property they had, but not a house or personal things left to a widow, widower or surviving civil partner. So if the person left savings, the payment can be taken back from them once the estate is dealt with.
The amount you receive also depends on any other money available to cover the costs, such as an insurance policy or funds in the estate. This is why it is worth gathering information about bank accounts, policies and funeral plans early. Our guide to what to do when someone dies walks through those first practical steps.
How do you claim, and what is the deadline?
You must apply within 6 months of the funeral, according to GOV.UK's claim page. You can also claim before the funeral, but only with an invoice or signed contract from the funeral director. An estimate is not enough.
There are two ways to apply in England and Wales:
Call the Bereavement Service helpline on 0800 151 2012 (Welsh language 0800 731 0453), Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. The adviser can also check other bereavement benefits with you.
Download and complete the SF200 claim form and post it to the address on the form.
If you have already paid for the funeral, the money goes into your bank, building society or credit union account. If you have not, it is paid directly to the funeral organiser, usually the funeral director. If you disagree with the decision, you can ask for a mandatory reconsideration, usually within one month of the decision, and then appeal to a tribunal if you are still unhappy.
What other help is there with funeral costs?
If a child has died, there is separate help that is not means-tested. In England, the Children's Funeral Fund covers burial or cremation fees and up to £300 for a coffin, shroud or casket for a child under 18 or a baby stillborn after the 24th week of pregnancy. The burial or cremation provider claims those fees directly, and claims must be made within 6 months of the funeral.
If you have been on certain benefits for six months, a Budgeting Loan is an interest-free loan that can help with funeral costs. It is for people on Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance or Pension Credit. If you currently get Universal Credit, you cannot get a Budgeting Loan, but you can ask about an advance for unexpected costs, which is repaid from future payments. If your partner died, you may also be entitled to Bereavement Support Payment, which is a separate benefit.
When no one is able or willing to arrange a funeral, the local council has a duty under section 46 of the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 to arrange a burial or cremation, and it may recover its costs from the estate. This is often called a public health funeral. It is a simple service, and practice on whether family can attend varies between councils, so ask your council directly.
How is it different in Scotland and Northern Ireland?
In Scotland, the Funeral Expenses Payment has been replaced by the Funeral Support Payment, run by Social Security Scotland. You must live in Scotland, and you or your partner must get a qualifying benefit such as Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance or income-related Employment and Support Allowance, according to mygov.scot. You can apply until 6 months after the funeral, online, on paper, or by calling Social Security Scotland on 0800 182 2222, as listed on the how to apply page. Only one person can receive it for each funeral, and you cannot get it if another government funeral payment, such as the Funeral Expenses Payment, has already been made.
Northern Ireland has its own Funeral Expenses Payment, explained on nidirect. The rules are similar: a qualifying benefit, responsibility for the funeral, up to £1,000 for items such as funeral director's fees, flowers or the coffin, and an application within six months of the funeral.
Prepare the claim and keep a follow-up record
Use the official claim route for where you live. For England and Wales, keep these items together before calling or completing SF200:
The funeral date and the date six months later: apply within the deadline even if a qualifying-benefit decision is pending.
The invoice or signed funeral-director contract if claiming before the funeral; an estimate is not enough.
The benefit and relationship details requested by the current form, plus information about money available towards the funeral.
A copy of what you sent, the submission date, reference number and any request for missing information.
The GOV.UK claim page links the current SF200 and telephone route. Send personal documents through that official process, not to this website. Keep the claim separate from your agreement with the funeral director; an application is not a payment guarantee.
Before committing to additional costs, use the funeral-cost checklist. If your partner died, also check Bereavement Support Payment separately; it is not the same award.
Should I wait for a benefit decision before claiming funeral help?
Do not let the claim deadline pass while waiting. GOV.UK says to apply within six months of the funeral even if a qualifying-benefit decision is pending. Check the current claim route and provide any information the decision-maker asks for.
What should you keep after submitting a funeral payment claim?
Keep the submitted information, official acknowledgement and subsequent requests together. Record any change the service tells you to report and use its official contact if you need clarification. A pending claim is not an award, so discuss payment arrangements with the funeral provider separately.
Prepare for the next conversation
Record the claim reference and contact date.
Keep the funeral invoice and documents requested by the service.
Distinguish an award decision from a payment reaching the provider or your account.
Related next steps: Check whether a separate bereavement benefit is relevant; Understand the scope of a direct-cremation quotation.
Frequently asked questions: Funeral Expenses Payment
Can I get a Funeral Expenses Payment if I work?
Working does not rule you out on its own. What matters is whether you or your partner get a qualifying benefit, such as Universal Credit, plus the relationship test and the situation of other close relatives.
Can I claim after the funeral has been paid?
Yes. You have up to 6 months after the funeral to apply, and if you have already paid, the money is paid into your own account.
Does a Funeral Expenses Payment cover a wake or headstone?
The fixed items are burial or cremation fees, certain travel, moving the body and documents. Anything else, such as funeral director's fees, flowers or the coffin, comes from the capped amount of up to £1,000, so check the claim form notes or ask the Bereavement Service helpline before you commit.
What happens if the estate has money later?
The payment is deducted from money you get from the estate, so it may be recovered once the estate has been sorted out. A house or personal belongings left to a surviving spouse or civil partner are not counted.
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