Funeral Support Payment

What is Funeral Support Payment?

Funeral Support Payment is money from the Scottish Government to help people on certain benefits with the cost of a funeral or cremation. It can help pay for the cost of the funeral of an adult, child or still born baby born after 24 weeks of pregnancy.

You may get Funeral Support Payment if the person who died lived in the UK and the funeral is taking, or has taken, place in the UK. You must also be getting certain benefits.

Who can get Funeral Support Payment?

To get Funeral Support Payment, you need to be living in Scotland and be responsible for paying for the funeral of the person who has died, so they will usually be a close relative. If you are not related to the person who has died you will have to show why you are responsible for the costs.

The person who died must have lived in the UK and the funeral must take, or have taken, place in the UK. In some circumstances you can get a payment if the funeral takes, or has taken, place in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland.

To get Funeral Support Payment you must also be receiving one of the following benefits:

• Child Tax Credit
• Universal Credit (UC)
• Income Support
• Pension Credit
• Working Tax Credit (disability or severe disability element)
• Housing Benefit
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), not contribution-based JSA
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), not contribution-based ESA

How much is Funeral Support Payment?

Funeral Support Payment comes in two parts

The first part: payment for the funeral expenses such as:

• cremation or burial cost
• burial plot fee
• fixed amount of £25.35 for medical costs (for example if the person who died needs to have a pacemaker removed before they can be cremated)
• return travel to and from the funeral for the person making the funeral arrangements
• moving of the body (this only applies to journeys over 49.7 miles)

The second part: payment towards non-essential funeral expenses. This is £1,257.75  (£153.50 if the person who died had a pre-paid funeral plan).

Any insurance policies, money or assets the person who died left, will affect the payment you get. Costs met by the NHS or council will also reduce the payment. It does not affect any other benefits you are getting and is not counted for the Benefit Cap.

The average payment is around £1700 which could be much less than the actual cost of the funeral.

How it is paid

The payment can be made to you directly, or paid to the funeral director.

How to apply

You can apply for Funeral Support Payment after the death has been registered and for up to 6 months after the person has died. You can apply even if you have already paid for the funeral.

Apply online or by phone.

To apply online.

To apply by phone call Social Security Scotland: 0800 182 2222

Further help and information

For help applying.

For more details.