The amount of money that the Government will pay towards a funeral has risen from £700 to £1000 for claims made where the person has died after the 8^th April. This change applies to England and Wales under Funeral Expenses Payments and in Northern Ireland as well.

The payment is made to help pay funeral costs, but will not cover all the costs incurred when making funeral arrangements. The amount paid depends on the individual claiming’s circumstances and will also be reduced if the deceased had savings or left an estate. Claimants might still have to pay for some or most of the costs themselves.

A maximum of £120 can be paid where the deceased had a funeral plan but certain items weren’t covered under that plan.

The money is paid to those who meet the eligibility criteria where the claimant is either partner, close relative or a close friend of the deceased and is in receipt of certain state benefits such as Universal Credit, Income Based Jobseekers Allowance, Pension Credit, Child Tax Credit etc.

The full list of benefits and details of how to claim can be found on the government’s website:

https://www.gov.uk/funeral-payments

For Scotland, the Funeral Expenses Payment has been replaced by Funeral Support Payment. Ths is a one-off payment from Social Security Scotland which helps cover the costs of a funeral for those on a low income. The payment is far more generous at a maximum of £1500.

To receive it, the claimant must normally live in Scotland and must get one of the applicable benefits. The Claimant must have accepted responsibility for paying for the funeral, and must be named on the funeral bill.

To find out more, visit the gov.scot website

For Northern Ireland, guidance and forms are available at the NI direct website