Government Support

Tehy Care Funeral Services
Government Support admin August 17, 2022
Tehy Care Funeral Services
Government support for funeral costs.

There are a number of options available for you to consider, which may give you that helping hand you need.

TALK TO A DIRECTOR

Funeral expenses payment

This service is provided by the government, to support people who claim certain benefits to help pay for a funeral. If you live in Scotland You can apply for a Funeral Support Payment. It has replaced Funeral Expenses Payment in Scotland.

This payment does not usually cover all of the costs of a funeral. How much you get depends on your circumstances, and also includes any other money that’s available to cover the costs, for example from an insurance policy or the deceased person’s estate.

If the deceased had a pre-paid funeral plan, you can only get up to £120 to help pay for items not covered by their plan. The money will be paid directly to Co-op Funeralcare if you have not paid yet.

A Funeral Expenses Payment claim form (SF200) may be obtained from a Jobcentre Plus office or can be downloaded here. However, the easiest way to claim Funeral Expenses Payment is by phone, call 0800 731 0469 and choose option 2

Bereavement payment

This is a one-off, tax-free lump sum payment of £2,000 that could be claimed if your spouse or civil partner died before 6th April 2017. You could be eligible if your partner either:

  • Paid National Insurance contributions for at least 25 weeks
  • Died because of an accident at work or a disease caused by work

When they died you must have been under State Pension age and living in the UK.

Download a Bereavement Support Payment pack (form BSP1) or order it over the phone from your local JobCentre Plus.

  • Bereavement Service helpline: 0800 731 0469
  • Welsh language: 0800 731 0453

Budgeting Loan

This is an interest-free loan for those on income-related benefits, to help towards the cost of your loved one’s funeral. The repayments come directly from your benefits and you only pay back what you’ve borrowed.

You may be eligible for a Budgeting Loan if you, your husband, wife or civil partner have been receiving one of the below benefits for at least 26 weeks:

  • Income Support.
  • Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance.
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance.
  • Pension Credit.

The maximum amount you’ll receive is £812 if you’re eligible and have children. The amount you’ll receive also depends on your ability to pay the loan back and if you have over £1,000 of savings (or £2,000 if you or your husband, wife or civil partner are over 62).

Public Health Funeral

Local authorities have a statutory duty to arrange funerals for people who die within their boundary, where no other suitable arrangements can be made e.g. there are no relatives willing or able to arrange the funeral or where there are insufficient funds. It’s the council’s responsibility to recover the costs of the funeral from the estate of the deceased if there is an estate.

Some councils do not cover the cost of a celebrant or minister and don’t allow the service to be attended or the ashes to be claimed afterwards.

Children’s Funeral Fund (CFF)

This fund is available to families arranging a children’s funeral in England* to cover the cost of burial or cremation fees. Funeral directors and burial or cremation authorities will apply to the Children’s Funeral Fund to claim these fees back on the family’s behalf.

The CFF gives up to £300 towards a coffin, but it does not cover any of the funeral director services to carry out the funeral, or any additional products, such as flowers.

Families choosing us to carry out the funeral of a child will not be charged for the funeral director services, as we’ve offered a free children’s funeral service for over 30 years.