Paying for the funeral

Paying for the funeral is the responsibility of the person arranging the funeral. Generally, the costs will be borne by the estate of the deceased, so it is important for the executors to check there are sufficient funds before going ahead. The following may also be sources of fund for the funeral payment:

• A prepaid funeral plan
• A life assurance policy
• A pension scheme offering help with funeral costs
• Death benefits from a trade union or society

If the estate is not big enough to cover the cost of a funeral, a funeral payment from the Department of Work and Pensions’ Social Fund may be payable. The payment may not cover the full cost of a basic funeral and they have the right to reclaim some of the cost from the deceased’s estate and close relatives, except in the case of war pensioners.

Further information on entitlements can be retrieved from the Citizen’s Advice Bureau and Cruse Bereavement Care.

If there are no next of kin, the local council or the hospital takes responsibility for the funeral and normally appoints a funeral director. Both recoup the costs from the estate.

There can be some delay in claiming funds from the deceased estate or other sources, though the deceased’s bank or building society will often be willing to release funds to cover the funeral expenses.

If you envisage any problems in settling the bill on time you should inform us accordingly where we can potentially arrange installments. We are also happy to accept payment by credit card.