Funeral Expenses Payment Help

seville_2003

Hello

My Dad sadly passed last week and I'm looking for some information regarding the funeral expenses payment and my eligibility.

I am unemployed as I was caring for my Dad full time and I had put in an application for jobseekers a few weeks ago, I have an appointment and am waiting to go to an interview.

My dad left no will or money to pay for the funeral but he did leave insurance policies, but..

my Dad was still married to my mother despite being seperated for over 20 years meaning that having called the insurance companies she is the beneficiary of the policies because she is still married. I'm estranged from my mother and having spoken to her last night for the first time in a long time she is planning on keeping the money...not a great situation,

Would anyone here have experience of applying for it. Would I be eligible given that I have applied for jobseekers and I'm not in receipt of it yet and how would they view the fact that my Dad had insurance but my mother plans on keeping it and not putting it towards the funeral and me being estranged from her.

Thankyou!

Robin9

Firstly - you are not responsible for the funeral costs unless you have instructed the funeral director.

If he died in hospital then the hospital will make the arrangments and pick up the bill

calcotti

If it is new style JSA you have applied for this is not a benefit that will make you eligible for a funeral expenses payment.
https://www.gov.uk/funeral-payments/eligibility
If you have applied for UC you could be.

seville_2003

I have instructed the funeral director, everything is aranged, I'm his only family/

and yes it's universal credit I've applied for

WhenIam64

she is the beneficiary of the policies because she is still married.

The policies will be part of the estate and as Robin9 points out, the charge will be to the estate (and the policies). The beneficiary will get what is left.

She may be entitled to a payment so she should check out "Tell us once" on the Gov website.

So it may be in your mother's interest to get up to speed on the issue of probate, wills and applicable benefits.

Mojisola

WhenIam64 wrote: »

The policies will be part of the estate and as Robin9 points out, the charge will be to the estate (and the policies). The beneficiary will get what is left.

She may be entitled to a payment so she should check out "Tell us once" on the Gov website.

So it may be in your mother's interest to get up to speed on the issue of probate, wills and applicable benefits.

Not necessarily - some pay out to the beneficiary without going through the estate.

It's unlikely that probate would be needed for this estate as there are no assets to speak of.

Robin9

seville_2003 wrote: »

she is the beneficiary of the policies because she is still married........!

I'm not sure - I think it will depend on the wording of the policies. It might say that the beneficiary is , Mary X (and that would still stand even if they were divorced) or leaves it to his estate in which case intestate laws apply.

calcotti

seville_2003 wrote: »

I have instructed the funeral director, everything is aranged, I'm his only family/

and yes it's universal credit I've applied for

In that case you could be eligible for a funeral expenses payment.

However, as others have said, unless the insurance has been written in trust for your mother the proceeds are part of your father's estate and the estate is expected to pay for the funeral before any monies left over are distributed to a beneficiary.

TELLIT01

Are you sure that a life insurance payout becomes part of the estate, if there is a named beneficiary of the policy? It just seems doubtful to me.

bigbill

Tell mum to apply for bereavement support payment as well if she is young enough?

https://www.gov.uk/bereavement-support-payment

Rubyroobs

bigbill wrote: »

Tell mum to apply for bereavement support payment as well if she is young enough?

https://www.gov.uk/bereavement-support-payment

I doubt it if they haven't been together for 20 years. I'm pretty sure that the form asks if you have been living together.