Social Funds for Funeral

Mojisola

kingfisherblue wrote: »

For my dad, we had small pots of flowers arranged in the shape of a cross on top of his coffin. The pots were then donated to residents at a local care home for them to enjoy - my dad didn't see the sense in wasting money on flowers unless someone could enjoy them afterwards.

That's a good idea.

For Mum and Dad, we had one large spray from the family on the coffin and asked for donations to the local hospice if people wanted to give something instead of buying flowers.

After the cremation, the flowers were handed over to their church's flower arrangers and were reused in displays.

specialboy

You can save a lot of cash by transporting the coffin to the boneyard in the back of an estate car or van.

billywilly

specialboy wrote: »

You can save a lot of cash by transporting the coffin to the boneyard in the back of an estate car or van.

And I believe that that is entirely legal.

When we buried my great grandfather in 1953 he had his old horse pull the farm cart with the coffin on board to the church. As a child, I remember that it was a special day for me, to see that trundling along the country lane with him having his last ride (I tried to get on board with him!) We all walked behind him for over a mile.

AsknAnswer2

Roland_Flagg wrote: »

My father passed away last week at the age of 78 and the family are struggling with the funeral cost. He had no savings and only a very poor insurance plan worth about £1.4k.

I've heard of the social fund for funeral costs.

I'm dealing with the costs and arrangements but the problem with claiming maybe that at the time of his death he was living at a different address than my Mam (they were still married but had been living separate lives for 4 years).

So can I or my Mam put a claim in?

Thanks.

I'm very sorry for your bereavement. Hopefully I can help provide a little clarity as Social Fund Funeral Payments can be a difficult thing to navigate.

If your Mam puts a claim in, it will more than likely be refused because although they were still married, they were not living together as husband and wife and there are other immediate family members (you and any other sons or daughters your late father has). A 'partner' for the purpose of a funeral payment is usually someone who lived as husband and wife with the deceased. They MAY allow the claim given that they were still married. In accordance with the regulations, if there is no partner of the deceased, it is not considered reasonable for anyone else to have taken responsibility for the funeral costs where there are surviving sons, daughters or parents of the deceased.

If you choose to claim, for your claim to be successful, you must have be in receipt of a qualifying benefit, and any other sons or daughters of your late father must be either:
in receipt of a qualifying benefit or
in an excluded group, or
estranged from your late father at the time of his death

In addition, you must have taken responsibility for the funeral costs, the funeral must take place in the UK, the EEA or Switzerland and your father must have been habitually resident in the UK.

If all of this is satisfied they then move on to 'reasonable and necessary costs'. They will award only for certain items/services and only up to a specified amount for the local area, plus a maximum of £700 toward any other costs.

After this, they will subtract any other money which is available to pay for the funeral costs, including but not limited to funds held in your late fathers accounts and the insurance. If the available amount exceeds the amount they are considering awarding, there will be no funeral payment.

To view the regulations in full, get further information and decide what to do for the best in regard to a claim, see the link below.
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2005/506/contents/made

Also, click below. This is the decision makers guide which is used by staff in the DWP when looking at Funeral payment claims. (It starts off with maternity but just scroll down to find the funeral guidance)

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/410878/dmgch39.pdf