Funeral Expenses Payment: the DWP Funeral Grant

Funeral Expenses Payment (also called a Funeral Payment, and often searched for as the funeral grant) is government help with funeral costs for people on certain benefits.

It is not a loan you pay back yourself. If the person who died left money or property, the DWP takes the payment back from their Estate, before anything else is paid out of it. A home left to a surviving husband, wife or civil partner, and personal things left to them, do not count. See how repayment from the estate works below.

You can get Funeral Expenses Payment if all three of these are true:

1. You or your partner get a qualifying benefit
2. You have the right relationship to the person who died
3. The funeral is in the UK, the European Economic Area or Switzerland

Qualifying benefits

• Universal Credit
• Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) income-related
• Pension Credit
• Housing Benefit

You might also qualify if you get a Support for Mortgage Interest loan. Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance and tax credits are no longer on the list.

You can still claim if you have applied for one of these benefits and are waiting to hear about it.

Your relationship to the person who died

You can claim if you were:

• Their partner when they died
• The parent of a baby stillborn after 24 weeks of pregnancy
• The parent of, or the person responsible for, a child who died under 16, or under 20 and in approved education or training
• A close relative or close friend, if the person who died had no partner, or if their partner (or the child's parent) cannot claim, for example because they live abroad or are in prison

When another relative can stop a claim

If a close relative of the person who died, such as a sibling or parent, is in work or is not on a qualifying benefit, you might not get Funeral Expenses Payment. The DWP looks at the whole family's situation in these cases. If you are unsure whether you qualify, call the DWP Bereavement Service on 0800 151 2012 before assuming you are not eligible. Ruling yourself out in a complicated case can mean giving up on a claim you would have won.

The scheme is split into two parts, as described in the calculation section below.

Part 1: Necessary burial or cremation fees (covered in full)

This covers the direct cost of the burial or cremation, such as the fee for a particular burial plot or the cremation fee, including the cost of the doctor's certificate.

The payment can also help with:

• Moving the body within the UK if it is being moved more than 50 miles
• Death certificates or other documents
• Travel to arrange or go to the funeral

Part 2: Up to £1,000 for other reasonable expenses

This can include:

• Funeral director's fees
• The coffin or casket
• Flowers and wreaths (up to a reasonable amount)
• Order of Service (printed service sheets)
• Organist or musician fees
• Religious requirements (e.g., a priest's fee for a blessing)

All of these come out of the same £1,000 allowance.

If the person had a pre-paid funeral plan, you can only get up to £120, for items the plan does not cover.

What is NOT included

• Headstones or memorial plaques
• Catering for the wake (food and drink)
• Parties or celebrations after the funeral
• Newspaper obituaries
• Post-funeral entertainment or events

The scheme covers the funeral itself, not the aftermath or celebrations.

Funeral Expenses Payment does not cover the full cost of a funeral in most cases. The payment is structured in two parts, and the total is then reduced by any money the deceased left.

How it is calculated

Part 1: Necessary burial or cremation fees, paid in full. This covers the direct cost of the burial plot or cremation itself, not the broader funeral director's bill.

Part 2: Up to £1,000 for other reasonable funeral expenses, such as the funeral director's fees, flowers, the coffin, and the order of service.

The total is then reduced by any other money available to cover the costs, such as an insurance policy or money in the estate of the person who died.

Across the 23,047 payments the DWP wrote off in 2024 to 2025, the average was about £2,030. A simple funeral costs about £3,800 on average (SunLife Cost of Dying Report 2026), so the payment usually covers less than half. Our guide to funeral costs in the UK breaks down where the money goes.

What counts as "reasonable"

The DWP assesses whether each expense is reasonable. If costs are deemed excessive, they will pay a lower amount or refuse that element. If you disagree with the decision, you can ask the DWP to look at it again (see below).

You must apply within 6 months of the funeral date. It is better to apply sooner.

Option 1: By phone (fastest)

Call the DWP Bereavement Service: 0800 151 2012 (Welsh language: 0800 731 0453). The call is free.

Available Monday to Friday, 8am–6pm. Closed at weekends.

You will speak to an agent who confirms your eligibility, takes your details, the funeral director's costs, and explains next steps.

Option 2: By form (SF200)

Request the SF200 form from the DWP on 0800 151 2012, or download it from www.gov.uk/funeral-payments.

The form asks for your personal details, the deceased's details, proof of qualifying benefit, the funeral director's invoice, a statement confirming you arranged the funeral, and your bank details for payment.

Sending the form

Post the completed SF200 and any documents to the address printed on the form: Freepost DWP Funeral Payments. You can also take it to your local Jobcentre Plus.

The DWP does not publish a standard processing time. If you get Universal Credit, you will not get a decision until after your next Universal Credit payment.

Proof of benefit

• Recent award letter from your benefit provider
• A letter from the DWP confirming your current benefits
• Your National Insurance number
• Your date of birth

Proof the funeral has happened

• The funeral director's invoice or receipt
• A copy of the death certificate
• The order of service or funeral programme

Proof of relationship

• Marriage certificate (if spouse)
• Birth certificate (if child)
• Proof of residence (if you were living together)

Your bank details

If the funeral director has not been paid yet, the DWP usually pays them directly. If you have already paid the bill, the money comes to you.

This is the part most people do not expect.

It is not a loan you pay back yourself. If the person who died left money or property, the DWP takes the payment back from their estate, before anything else is paid out of it. A home left to a surviving husband, wife or civil partner, and personal things left to them, do not count.

How estate recovery works

1. The DWP writes to you, or to whoever is dealing with the estate, to ask whether the person who died left anything it can be repaid from
2. By law, funeral expenses are paid from the estate before anything else, including other debts
3. So the DWP is repaid before any money goes to beneficiaries
4. If there is nothing in the estate, there is nothing to repay. The DWP cannot recover it any other way, so it does not come out of your own money

In practice, most payments are never taken back. In 2024 to 2025 the DWP paid out about £50 million in Funeral Expenses Payments, recovered about £0.7 million from estates, and wrote off about £47 million because there was nothing in the estate to recover from.

What if the estate is very small?

If the deceased's estate is smaller than the Funeral Expenses Payment (e.g., you got £1,800 and the estate is worth £500), the DWP cannot recover more than the estate contains.

The DWP can try to recover from what is there, but they cannot force you to pay out of your own pocket.

The DWP might refuse if:

• You are not on a qualifying benefit
• You did not apply within 6 months
• You do not have the right relationship to the person who died
• The claimed expenses are deemed "excessive"
• You did not provide sufficient evidence

Challenging a decision

1. Read the decision letter. It explains why the DWP decided as it did. If it is unclear, call the Bereavement Service on 0800 151 2012 and ask.
2. Ask for a mandatory reconsideration. This asks the DWP to look at the decision again. You usually need to ask within one month of the date on the decision letter, and you can send new evidence with it.
3. Appeal to a tribunal. If you are still unhappy after the reconsideration, you can appeal to the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal.

Before the funeral

• Ask the funeral director for an itemised quote
• Get quotes from multiple funeral directors (some are significantly cheaper)
• Check if you qualify for Funeral Expenses Payment before committing to expensive choices
• Ask the funeral director if they can defer payment until after Funeral Expenses Payment is received

What a simple funeral costs

A simple funeral costs about £3,800 on average, according to the SunLife Cost of Dying Report 2026. A direct cremation, with no service at the crematorium, usually costs less. Our guide to funeral costs in the UK sets out the options.

Other support to consider

• Down to Earth (run by Quaker Social Action) offers free, practical support to people who are struggling to afford a funeral, including advice on low-cost options and navigating state support schemes
• Employer death benefit: Some employers pay lump sums if the deceased was employed
• Insurance policies: Life insurance, mortgage protection insurance
• Crowdfunding: Some families ask friends and family to help pay
• Family contributions: Parents, siblings, etc. might help

If the deceased had no eligible family

If the deceased has no family or the family cannot afford to pay, the local authority or NHS (if the person died in hospital) can arrange a simple burial or cremation.

The DWP's Bereavement Service can guide you: 0800 151 2012

If the person was part of a religion with expensive requirements

Tell the DWP about any religious requirements and include a letter from your religious leader explaining them. Costs that fall in the £1,000 part of the payment are still capped.

If the deceased had a pre-paid funeral plan

If the person had already paid for their funeral in advance, you might not need Funeral Expenses Payment at all. If the plan does not cover everything, the payment is limited to £120 for the items it leaves out.

You can receive the money before probate is granted

Unlike some benefits, you do not have to wait for probate to complete. The DWP can pay long before probate is granted. This is helpful because you need the money immediately. Some banks will also release money from the deceased's account to cover funeral costs; see our notifying banks guide for details.

Some funeral directors will wait for payment

If you have not paid the funeral bill yet, the DWP pays the money straight to the funeral director. Tell them you are claiming Funeral Expenses Payment and ask whether they will wait for it.

You cannot claim for a private wake or celebration

Even if it is cultural or important to your family, "celebration of life" parties, catering, and post-funeral gatherings are not covered. The DWP's line is: the payment is for the funeral itself, not the party after.

The DWP decides what is reasonable

There is some judgement in deciding which costs are reasonable. If you think the DWP has paid too little, ask for a mandatory reconsideration.

It takes longer if you are still processing grief

The application asks for lots of detail and proof. You might not have everything organised yet. That is okay; apply when you are ready. You have 6 months.

1. Check if you or your partner are on a qualifying benefit (Universal Credit, income-related ESA, Pension Credit or Housing Benefit), or have applied for one
2. Call the DWP: 0800 151 2012 within 6 months of the funeral
3. Confirm your eligibility and take notes on what to send
4. Gather the funeral director's invoice and supporting documents
5. Complete form SF200 (if applying by post) or provide details over the phone
6. Send everything to the DWP (Freepost DWP Funeral Payments)
7. Wait for a decision
8. Payment is made to the funeral director, or to you if you have already paid the bill
9. Inform the executor that the DWP may recover the amount from the estate

• DWP Bereavement Service (England and Wales): 0800 151 2012, Welsh language 0800 731 0453 (Mon–Fri 8am–6pm)
• Funeral Expenses Payment (online): www.gov.uk/funeral-payments
• Form SF200: www.gov.uk/government/publications/funeral-payment-claim-form
• DWP post (completed SF200): Freepost DWP Funeral Payments
• Scotland (Funeral Support Payment): Social Security Scotland, 0800 182 2222, socialsecurity.gov.scot
• Northern Ireland (DfC Bereavement Service): 0800 085 2463

Rules and figures in this guide come from the sources below, checked in October 2026.

• GOV.UK: Funeral Expenses Payment, eligibility: qualifying benefits, relationship rules, where the funeral can be
• GOV.UK: Funeral Expenses Payment, what you'll get: what it covers, the £1,000 and £120 limits, recovery from the estate
• GOV.UK: Funeral Expenses Payment, how to claim: the 6-month deadline, phone lines, appeals
• GOV.UK: Funeral Expenses Payment claim form (SF200): the form and the Freepost address
• GOV.UK: Challenge a benefit decision (mandatory reconsideration): the one-month time limit
• DWP: Social Fund Account 2024 to 2025: amounts paid, recovered and written off

Once you have applied for Funeral Expenses Payment, you will also need to:

• Understand probate and estate administration
• Notify banks and close accounts
• Claim bereavement benefits you might be entitled to

AfterLoss keeps a case workspace for the funeral admin, the benefit claim, and everything that follows it: the documents, the contacts, and the tasks that nobody else is tracking.