Paying for a funeral

Funerals can be expensive, so it is important to work out how they can be paid for.

First, check to see if the person who died has:

• a scheme to pay for the funeral
• a pre-paid funeral plan
• a cremation society certificate
• insurance policies or details of an occupational pension scheme.

There are more details about ways to help pay for a funeral below.

Help if you receive benefits

If the person arranging the funeral gets benefits, they may be able to get help with their expenses.

This is called a Funeral Expenses Payment.

If you are not eligible for a Funeral Expenses Payment the Money Advice Service may have more advice.

Payment from the estate of the deceased

Normally the bank account of the person who died will be frozen, unless it is a joint account. Building societies and National Savings accounts though may agree to release money to pay for funeral expenses.

There is no legal obligation for them to do this, so you may need to get a grant of probate or letters of administration to do this.