How to pay for funeral expenses depends on what the person left and who is arranging the funeral: the bill can come from a plan or policy they had, from family or friends, or from their estate, and the person's bank may pay the funeral director directly. If you or your partner get certain benefits, the Funeral Expenses Payment on GOV.UK can help (Scotland has its own Funeral Support Payment).

If you are planning ahead rather than arranging a funeral now, you can ask for a free call from an FCA-authorised broker about funeral plans and cover, using the form here. Nothing is decided on the call.

If you are dealing with the loss as well as the bill, Cruse Bereavement Support has a free helpline on 0808 808 1677.

Who pays for a funeral?

GOV.UK's guidance on what to do after someone dies lists three routes. The funeral can be paid from a financial scheme the person had, such as a prepaid funeral plan or an insurance policy; by you or other family members or friends; or from the person's estate, savings for example. Getting at estate money is called applying for a grant of representation, sometimes called probate.

First check whether the person left arrangements, which it says could include prepaid funeral plans or life insurance; local funeral directors can help you check. HMRC's valuation guidance counts funeral costs among the estate's debts. The average funeral costs in the UK page gives the national picture.

Can the bank pay the funeral director from the person's account?

That depends on the bank. Santander's bereavement page shows how one bank handles it. Where there is enough money in the account, it can pay the funeral director or florist before a grant of representation or probate. It asks for the invoice and the original death certificate, and says paying can take up to 5 days. What it releases is for the funeral director's or florist's bill only. Other banks set their own steps, so ask the bank where the person held their accounts.

What does the Funeral Expenses Payment cover in England and Wales?

GOV.UK sets three conditions, and all must apply. You or your partner get Universal Credit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit or Housing Benefit (you can still claim while waiting for a decision on one of those). You meet the rules on your relationship with the person who died. And you are arranging a funeral in the UK, the European Economic Area or Switzerland.

The relationship rules cover the partner of the person who died, the parent of a baby stillborn after 24 weeks of pregnancy, and the parent or person responsible for a child who died under 16 (or under 20 and in approved education or training). A close relative or friend may be able to claim if the person had no partner, or if the partner or parent cannot claim, for example because they live abroad. If a close relative such as a sibling or parent is in work or not getting a qualifying benefit, you might not get the payment.

It can help with burial fees for a particular plot, cremation fees, and moving the body within the UK if it is going more than 50 miles. For other costs, such as funeral director's fees, flowers or the coffin, it gives up to £1,000, and it will not usually cover all of the costs. If the person had a prepaid funeral plan, you can get up to £120 for items the plan does not cover.

You must apply within 6 months of the funeral. If you have not yet paid, the money goes straight to the funeral director. The Bereavement Service helpline, 0800 151 2012 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm), takes claims by phone.

In Northern Ireland, nidirect describes a similar payment, with up to £1000 for items such as funeral director's fees, flowers and coffin and a six-month deadline.

What help is there in Scotland?

The Funeral Support Payment replaced the Funeral Expenses Payment in Scotland. mygov.scot says all of these must apply: you live in Scotland; you or your partner get Universal Credit, Income Support, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance or income-related Employment and Support Allowance; the person who died lived in the UK; the funeral is in the UK or, in some circumstances, another country; you apply no later than 6 months after the funeral; and you or your partner are responsible for the costs and it is reasonable for you to be. Usually that is the nearest relative, such as a partner, child, parent or sibling.

Where the person who died was 18 or over, the payment usually covers the burial, cremation or hydrolysis fee in Scotland, unless a funeral plan pays it. For other costs it gives £1,327.75, or £162.05 if the person had a funeral plan, and the Scottish Government's up-rating report (February 2026) confirms these as the 2026-2027 rates. It will not usually cover the full cost, and it is less if the person left money that could cover some of the funeral. Social Security Scotland's number is 0800 182 2222.

Is there help with funeral costs for pensioners?

For older people, help comes through the benefit tests above: Pension Credit qualifies in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, whether you or your partner gets it.

Bereavement Support Payment is a different thing. GOV.UK says it is not means-tested, but you must have been under State Pension age when your partner died, so it does not help someone who had already reached it. The most is a one-off £3,500 and 18 monthly payments of £350 at the higher rate, or £2,500 and 18 monthly payments of £100 at the lower rate; you usually need to claim within 3 months of the death to get the full amount. It supports the partner left behind rather than paying for the funeral.

What happens if nobody can arrange or pay for the funeral?

In England and Wales, the council steps in. The 2020 public health funerals guidance says the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 "places a statutory duty on local authorities to arrange for a burial or cremation where no suitable alternative arrangements are being made". That covers people with no next of kin, or whose next of kin, relatives or friends are unable or unwilling to arrange one, and the guidance advises telling the council as early as possible. Agreeing to one means handing responsibility for, and control of, the funeral to the council.

The council can recover its costs from the estate, but not from the next of kin. Funeral expenses rank ahead of other debts except secured ones such as a mortgage.

How can you plan or save for your own funeral?

Savings you keep stay part of your estate, which can pay (the funeral plans and costs guide has the wider picture). A prepaid funeral plan fixes arrangements in advance: see what plans cost, direct cremation plans and how to set one up. The FCA says a plan provider must be authorised and have the right permissions, and that otherwise you would not have access to the Financial Ombudsman Service or the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.

For funeral insurance or over-50s cover, see funeral cover compared, how waiting periods work and plan against life insurance. Whenever you are ready to talk options through, the form here arranges a no-cost call with a broker holding FCA authorisation.

Frequently asked questions

Can I claim help before the funeral has taken place?

For England and Wales, GOV.UK says you can claim before the funeral if you have an invoice or signed contract from the funeral director, not an estimate. If you get Universal Credit, you will not get a decision on your claim until after your next payment.

Do I have to pay back help with funeral costs?

In England and Wales the payment is deducted from any money you get from the estate, and nidirect says you may have to repay some or all of it from the estate in Northern Ireland. In Scotland, Social Security Scotland says it recovers from the estate directly and does not ask you to pay it back.

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