Tag: Funeral SUpport Payment

Action to combat funeral poverty during National Grief Awareness Week

Social Security Scotland highlights Funeral Support Payment  

Social Security Scotland is helping to combat funeral poverty by raising awareness about Funeral Support Payment during National Grief Awareness Week (2 – 8 Dec). 

It is providing funeral directors, faith groups and registrars with access to a range of downloadable resources about the payment. The resources include posters, leaflets, social media posts and video content. 

Funeral Support Payment is available to people in Scotland who need help towards the cost of a funeral and get Universal Credit or other qualifying benefits. It can be used towards funeral costs for a baby, a child or an adult. This includes stillborn babies. 

Legislation is also coming into effect on 2 December which will improve the way the benefit is delivered and provide further support to people who are struggling to pay funeral costs. The changes are based on feedback from past recipients and stakeholders, including the funeral industry, charities and bereavement support groups.   

Funeral-Support-Payment-factsheet-easy-read-Mar-24Download

Shirley-Anne Somerville, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, said: “We are all familiar with terms like child poverty and fuel poverty but funeral poverty is affecting more and more people. The average cost of a funeral in the UK is now £4,000, well beyond the means of many families. 

“It is hugely important for us to mark the passing of our loved ones. Sadly, people experiencing the immediate shock and grief of a significant death often make arrangements for funerals with little understanding of the financial implications and with limited resources to pay big bills. 

“Since Funeral Support Payment was launched in 2019, the Scottish Government has provided over £54.2 million in support to more than 28,000 bereaved people to help pay for funeral costs when they need it most.” 

Gordon Black, Director with Alex Black Funeral Care Glasgow, said: “Funeral Support Payment is definitely important. Some 70% of our funerals are covered by Funeral Support Payment. We work in a lot of deprived areas and the payment is a real help to the people we serve. 

“We have Funeral Support Payment leaflets and posters in all our offices and arrangement rooms and we mention it if a family says to us they are going to struggle with paying for the funeral.” 

National Grief Awareness Week takes place from 2 December to 8 December. It provides a dedicated period for individuals, organizations, and communities to come together to acknowledge and address the various aspects of grief. 

The payment isn’t a loan and doesn’t need to be paid back although Social Security Scotland will recover the payment from the estate of the person who died if they leave any financial assets. 

The payment can cover burial and cremation costs. There is also a flat rate for any other expenses. This is £1,257.75 for most applications or £153.50 if the person who died had a funeral plan in place. It can also cover other costs such as travel expenses, documents and medical expenses. 

People may be eligible for Funeral Support Payment if they meet all of the criteria below: 

  • they live in Scotland 
  • they or their partner are getting certain benefits or tax credits* 
  • the person who died lived in the UK 
  • the funeral is being held in the UK or in some circumstances in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland 
  • they are applying after the person has died, until 6 months after the date of their funeral 
  • they or their partner are responsible for the funeral costs 
  • it is reasonable for them or their partner to accept responsibility for the funeral costs. 

* Universal Credit (UC), Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income related Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit, Child Tax Credit (CTC) and disability or severe disability element of Working Tax Credit. 

People can find out more and apply online at mygov.scot/funeralsupport. People can also apply in person, over the phone or ask for a paper application form by post by calling us free on 0800 182 2222. 

Before applying for Funeral Support Payment, people should register the death or stillbirth and give their funeral director (if they have one) consent to speak with Social Security Scotland about their application. This will minimise the time taken to process the application.

Help with funeral costs

Eligible people urged to apply for Funeral Support Payment

The cost of paying for a funeral can cause extra strain for many people at what is a difficult time.

Funeral Support Payment provides eligible people with financial support to help pay for a partner, child, parent or sibling’s funeral.

The payment is available to people who receive Universal Credit, tax credits and certain benefits and are responsible for paying for a funeral.

It can be paid either to parents and families, or the funeral director who is helping to plan the funeral.

People can apply any time after the person has died until six months after the date of the funeral, and are being urged to check if they are eligible and get the help they are entitled to.

The average payment in the 2023/24 financial year to date was £1,949, and the money can be used towards burial or cremation costs and other expenses such as funeral director’s fees, a coffin or flowers.

Since launching Funeral Support Payment in September 2019, Social Security Scotland has received over 34,000 applications, providing £41.7 million of support for people and families.

Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “When families are struggling to deal with a bereavement, the last thing they need, particularly during this cost of living crisis, is to face the added worry of paying for the costs of a funeral. We also want to do all we can to prevent those who are dealing with grief getting into debt.

“Making sure that everyone gets the financial support they are entitled to is a basic step in putting dignity and respect at the heart of social security in Scotland.

“I would encourage anyone who thinks they might qualify for Funeral Support Payment to find out more and apply, and to remember that people can apply up to six months after the funeral of their family member, friend, or loved one.”

James Blackburn, Head of Funerals at Scotmid Funerals, said: “We encourage the bereaved families that we care for to apply if they think they are eligible for Funeral Support Payment.

“We are delighted to work with Social Security Scotland to make sure that more people are aware of this support and that they apply for it. Through our funeral teams, website and our literature we signpost people to find out more and support them to apply.”

  • Funeral Support Payment helps pay towards funeral costs if you live in Scotland. The payment can be used towards funeral costs for a baby, child or adult. This includes babies who were stillborn
  • People can apply for support up to six months after the date of their loved one’s funeral
  • Those eligible for the Funeral Support Payment must be living in Scotland, be financially responsible for the funeral and be on a qualifying benefit or tax credit
  • In Scotland, local authorities cover the burial or cremation costs for a baby, child or young person aged 17 or under
  • People can choose to apply online, via a paper application form or by calling Social Security Scotland’s specially trained bereavement team free on 0800 182 2222
  • More information can be found online at https://www.mygov.scot/funeral-support-payment/

Social Security Scotland: Support for people facing bereavement

Having to pay for a funeral can cause extra strain for people at what can be a difficult time.

That’s why, during National Grief Awareness week, we want to highlight the services and benefits available from Social Security Scotland, which may help to ease financial worry and reduce paperwork for people.

Through our Bereavement Service specially trained experienced and compassionate expert client advisers provide help to people who need to update us about benefit payments after a death.

With just one phone call, people can report the death of a family member, friend or loved one directly to one of our advisers. At that point, our adviser will take the necessary information for all payments that need to be cancelled.

Our Bereavement Service is also connected to the UK-wide ‘Tell Us Once’ scheme, which lets most government departments and local authorities know when someone dies. The system allows us to automatically follow up with any actions without the need for people to send information separately. This helps take away some of the worry people have about more administrative tasks at this upsetting time.

Our client advisers are helping make a difference to our clients at a time when they may be feeling vulnerable and overwhelmed. A client adviser from our Bereavement Service, said: “Clients are grateful for being made aware of services like Tell Us Once which they can use to report the death once and all relevant departments will be notified.

“We make the caller aware of further assistance that may be available to them such as Funeral Support Payment or Bereavement care.

“Sometimes the caller may just want to talk about their experience of losing a loved one and we will lend a listening ear.”

Our client advisers can also signpost and help eligible people to apply for Funeral Support Payment, which helps pay towards funeral costs for people on low incomes getting certain benefits.

It can be paid either to parents and families or the funeral director who is helping to plan the funeral. In Scotland, local authorities cover the burial or cremation costs for a baby, child or young person aged 17 or under.

Since launching Funeral Support Payment in September 2019, we have approved over 32,600 applications, providing more than £37.8 million of support for people and families.

People can apply for Funeral Support Payment online, via a paper application form or by calling us free on 0800 182 2222 and asking to speak to the specially trained bereavement team.

To find out more information, people can visit mygov.scot/funeralsupportpayment

Funeral Support Payment to be increased

Extra support will be made available for people on low income benefits to pay for the cost of a funeral.

The Funeral Support Payment’s rate for expenses such as funeral director fees, a coffin, and flowers, is to be increased from £700 to £1,000 for all applications received from 1 April.

The Funeral Support Payment is made up of three separate parts: burial or cremation costs; travel costs; and a standard rate for other expenses – and it is this element which is being increased.

Introduced in September last year, the Funeral Support Payment replaced the UK Government’s Funeral Expense Payment in Scotland, greatly increasing eligibility. It is intended to help alleviate the burden of debt faced by those on low income benefits when paying for a funeral.

Social Security Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “At a time when families are struggling to come to terms with the death of a loved one, the last thing they need is extra financial stress.

“I am proud we are increasing the standard rate by 40% to £1,000 to support those paying for a funeral just months after introducing this important new payment.

“This increase, alongside the extended eligibility we have introduced, means the Funeral Support Payment is there to ease the pressures on up to 5,000 people annually at such a difficult time in their lives. So far the total average pay-out has been around £1,500.

“This benefit is part of the new Social Security system we are building from scratch for the Scottish people, with fairness, dignity and respect at its heart.”

The flat rate payment for other expenses may be used towards any other funeral expenses such as funeral director fees, a coffin, and flowers.

Those eligible for the Funeral Support Payment must be living in Scotland, have had the nearest relationship to the person who has died, be financially responsible for the funeral and be on a qualifying benefit or tax credit (e.g. Income Support, Jobseekers Allowance, Universal Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit, Child Tax Credit, Disability or severe disability element of Working Tax Credit).

Around 5,000 people are expected to be supported annually by the payment.

For more information or to apply online go to: https://www.mygov.scot/funeral-support-payment/