Funeral Payments

These help meet the cost of the funeral of a close friend or relative such as your partner or child. To qualify, you must be responsible for organising the funeral and receiving Income Support or income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Pension Credit, Working Tax Credit with a disability element, Child Tax Credit above the basic rate, Housing Benefit or Universal Credit. The payment is to cover essential expenses for a funeral within the UK plus up to £700 for other funeral expenses.

Payments to you from insurance policies, charities or relatives will be taken into account, and you may have to pay some or all of the money back to the Social Fund from the deceased person’s estate. Additionally, if the Social Fund officer thinks that someone else rather than you should be responsible for the funeral costs, you will not be entitled to the payment.

You must claim within three months of the funeral on form SF200, available from your local Jobcentre Plus or benefits office. Information is available online at: www.dwp.gov.uk/advisers/claimforms/sf200_print.pdf