Who is eligible for Funeral Expenses Payment?

Available in: England, Wales, Northern Ireland. Open to individuals — not restricted to businesses. Relevant income bands: earning under the Personal Allowance.

What is the deadline for Funeral Expenses Payment?

This is a rolling scheme with no fixed deadline.

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GrantEngland Wales Northern Ireland

Funeral Expenses Payment

Department for Work and Pensions (Social Fund) / Department for Communities (Northern Ireland)

Description

Help from the Social Fund towards the cost of arranging a funeral in England and Wales, for people on a low income who are responsible for a funeral and receive a qualifying benefit. Pays in full any burial fees for a particular plot or cremation fees (including the doctor's certificate), plus up to £1,000 towards other costs such as the funeral director's fees, coffin, or flowers — reduced to £120 towards other costs if the deceased had a pre-paid funeral plan that already covers some items. Administered by the Department for Communities under the same qualifying benefits, rates and structure in Northern Ireland — not a devolved replacement, just a different claim-handling body. Scotland has no Funeral Expenses Payment; Scottish residents instead apply for the structurally different Funeral Support Payment — see the separate entry.

Amount

Pays burial/cremation fees in full, plus up to £1,000 towards other funeral costs (reduced to £120 if the deceased had a pre-paid funeral plan) — no fixed total, since the award depends on actual costs incurred.

Deadline

Rolling / no fixed deadline

Eligibility summary

Available in: England, Wales, Northern Ireland.
Open to individuals — not restricted to businesses.
Relevant income bands: earning under the Personal Allowance.

Notes: The payment will not usually cover the full cost of the funeral — confirmed directly on gov.uk. Must claim within 6 months of the funeral (confirmed on both the GB gov.uk page and Northern Ireland's nidirect.gov.uk page in this pass), though a claim can be made before the funeral itself with a signed funeral director's invoice or contract (not just an estimate). The funeral must take place in the UK, the EEA, or Switzerland (Northern Ireland's equivalent allows limited exceptions for the Republic of Ireland). Not modelled on the applicant's own Profile.ageBand — any adult arranging a funeral can claim.
Requirement: You or your partner receive Universal Credit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit, or a Support for Mortgage Interest loan, and you're responsible for the funeral as the deceased's partner, as the parent of a stillborn baby (after 24 weeks of pregnancy) or of a child under 16 (or under 20 in approved education/training), or as a close relative/friend where the deceased had no partner (or their partner can't take responsibility, e.g. because they live abroad or are in prison).

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How to apply

Claim by phone via the Bereavement Service helpline (0800 151 2012, with a separate Welsh-language line) or by post using form SF200, within 6 months of the funeral. Northern Ireland claimants apply to the Department for Communities Bereavement Service instead of DWP, under the same qualifying benefits and payment structure.

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Last verified: 3 October 2026. See the footer disclaimer — this is general information, not financial or tax advice.