Funeral Expenses Payment UK — DWP funeral costs if you are on benefits
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Quick answer: Funeral Expenses Payment (sometimes called a Funeral Payment) is a DWP grant toward some funeral costs if you or your partner get a qualifying benefit and you are the person arranging the funeral. It does not usually cover the whole bill. You must apply within six months of the funeral. Scotland uses Funeral Support Payment instead. This is not the same as the price of a funeral.
The grant pays specified items (burial or cremation fees, some travel, documents) plus up to £1,000 for other funeral expenses — or up to £120 if the deceased had a prepaid funeral plan. Money available from the estate is deducted. Official: www.gov.uk/funeral-payments
Skip this if: Skip this if nobody in the household gets a qualifying low-income benefit and you are not waiting on a decision. Price comparison belongs on cost of a UK funeral. Scotland residents claim Funeral Support Payment from Social Security Scotland, not DWP.
Last reviewed:
Read the full family & care guide →Quick answer: What is Funeral Expenses Payment? →Primary source: www.gov.uk/funeral-payments
Who can get it?
You (or your partner) must get a qualifying benefit, or have a claim waiting. You must meet the relationship rules: partner of the person who died, parent of a stillborn baby after 24 weeks, or parent or person responsible for a child. Close relatives and friends can claim only in narrower cases — for example if there was no partner and it is reasonable for you to take responsibility. A working close relative who is not on a qualifying benefit can block a claim. Official: www.gov.uk/funeral-payments/eligibility
The payment is deducted from anything you later receive from the estate (not usually the home or personal things left to a surviving spouse or civil partner).
How do I claim?
Call the Bereavement Service helpline 0800 151 2012 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm; Welsh 0800 731 0453). They can also check Bereavement Support Payment. Or download SF200 and post it. You can claim before the funeral if you have an invoice or signed contract — not an estimate. Universal Credit claimants wait until after the next UC payment for a decision.
Steps: how to claim Funeral Expenses Payment. Tell Us Once: how to use Tell Us Once. Typical prices: cost of a UK funeral.
Scotland, and making a will so the next funeral is not also an intestacy
If you live in Scotland, apply for Funeral Support Payment from Social Security Scotland (0800 182 2222 / mygov.scot), not DWP. Eligibility is wider and the other-costs amount is different — check the live Social Security Scotland figures.
This payment does not replace a will. Dying without one leaves the next family with intestacy as well as the bill. For a straightforward England and Wales estate you can [make a will online](swiftwill.co.uk*) — document-prep software, not a law firm. Skip it for Scotland, Northern Ireland, trusts or foreign property. Scotland: wills and legal rights.
Common questions
Will it pay the whole funeral?
Usually not. It covers listed fees plus a capped amount for other costs. Direct cremation is often still cheaper than an attended funeral even with a grant.
I get New Style ESA. Does that count?
New Style ESA is contribution-based. The GOV.UK list is Universal Credit, income-related ESA, Pension Credit and Housing Benefit (and some Support for Mortgage Interest cases). Check the live eligibility page — New Style ESA alone is not the old income-related ESA.
What if DWP says no?
You can appeal to the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal. Citizens Advice can help with the form.