When cash is tight, it can be hard to find money for a funeral. So what do you do? And who pays for a funeral if there is no money?
It is, undoubtedly, a stressful situation but one which can be resolved and our caring, experienced funeral directors will be able to offer you guidance and advice.
There’s no doubt bereaved families may face significant cost pressures when organising a send-off for their loved one.
In most cases, it is the executor of a will who is responsible for arranging payment for a funeral. However, what do they do if they don’t have the funds? It is illegal to take money from a deceased person’s account, which will be frozen after their death, and the executor must apply for probate to gain access to the account or letters of administration. However, if money is needed for the funeral, the executor can usually provide the bank with a copy of the funeral invoice and the bank will organise to pay the funeral directors.
But what if there is no money at all, either in the estate or among family members? It is then the local authority will step in and oversee what is known as a public health funeral. They were previously called paupers’ funerals and councils are legally obliged to fulfil these duties under the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984. A public health funeral includes the cost of a coffin and a funeral director to transport the deceased to the crematorium or cemetery. Anyone who needs to follow this route should apply directly to the council.
There is also financial help available from the government to help with funeral costs including burial or cremation fees, the cost of moving the body within the UK if it is more than 50 miles and death certificates and other documents.
These Funeral Expenses Payments depend on your circumstances, including if you are in receipt of benefits, and how much you get depends on your situation and how much the deceased has left in their estate. For more information on this, go to: https://www.gov.uk/funeral-payments.
However, all of this complicated administrative process could not come at a worse time when those left behind are coming to terms with their loss. Many people now act in advance to avoid this situation by setting up a funeral plan which sets out their wishes and pays for funeral directors’ services, taking the pressure off their loved ones. Anyone taking out a funeral plan can also pay at today’s prices rather than whatever the fee is in years to come.
Another option is to look at the option of funeral finance, where you can spread the cost of the funeral across more digestible monthly payments over 12 months, as you would a car or your mortgage. This negates the potential stress and worry that upfront costs may cause and allows you to focus on more important matters.
Whatever your situation, please do contact us at Hunnaball Family Funeral Group where our compassionate, knowledgeable and professional team will be able to offer support and guidance, call us on 01206 760049.
