Funeral payments are a social security payment in the United Kingdom that are part of the Social Fund. They are to help with the costs of a funeral. To be eligible for a funeral payment, a claimant or their partner must be in receipt of one of the following income related benefits:

• Income Support^[1]
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance^[1]
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance^[1]
• Pension Credit (guarantee or savings credit)^[1]
• Housing Benefit ^[1]
• Working Tax Credit (disability or severe disability element)^[1]
• Child Tax Credit (at a rate higher than £545 per year)^[1]
• Universal Credit^[1]

In England and Wales, further entitlement conditions must also be met. A claimant can get a Funeral Expenses Payment if:

• they live in England or Wales;
• they were the partner of the person who died;
• they were a close relative or close friend of the person who died and it is reasonable for them to accept responsibility for the funeral costs, because they were in close regular contact with the person who has died.

A close relative means

• a parent, father-in-law, mother-in-law or step-parent
• a son, son-in-law, step-son or step-son-in-law
• a daughter, daughter-in-law, step-daughter or step-daughter-in-law
• a brother or brother-in-law
• a sister or sister-in-law

If there is another close relative of the person who has died who is not getting a qualifying benefit, their situation may need to be considered.

A claimant cannot get a payment as a close relative or close friend of the person who has died if:

• the person who has died had a partner when they died;
• there is a parent, son or daughter of the person who has died who is not getting a qualifying benefit

  and whose relationship with the person who has died had not broken down.

In Scotland, Funeral payments has been replaced by Funeral Support Payment, a new benefit delivered by Social Security Scotland.^[2]