Funeral Support Payment

Funeral Support Payment helps pay for funeral costs if you live in Scotland. You can use the payment towards funeral costs for a baby, child or adult. This includes babies who were stillborn.

It usually will not cover the full cost of the funeral but it should help pay for some costs. It can be paid either to you or the funeral director who's helping you plan the funeral. Only one person can get Funeral Support Payment for the funeral. The average total payment is £1,700, but the amount you get will depend on a number of factors.

It can help pay towards: -burial or cremation costs -funeral costs -your travel costs -transport costs to move the person who died -document costs -medical costs

To be able to get Funeral Support Payment you must have access to public funds. If you're subject to immigration control and have no recourse to public funds then you will not be able to get Funeral Support Payment. You or your partner must get one or more of the following: -Child Tax Credit -Universal Credit (UC) -Income Support -Pension Credit -Working Tax Credit (disability or severe disability element) -Housing Benefit -income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA), not contribution-based JSA -income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), not contribution-based ESA

If you or your partner are waiting to hear about your application for one of these benefits, you can still apply for Funeral Support Payment. However, we'll only be able to let you know if you're able to get Funeral Support Payment once we know the outcome of your other benefit applications. Social Security Scotland can only let you know if you can get Funeral Support Payment when they know the outcome of your benefit applications.

You can get a Funeral Support Payment if all of the following apply: -you live in Scotland -you or your 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 -you are applying after the person has died, until 6 months after the date of their funeral -you or your partner are responsible for the funeral -it is reasonable for you or your partner to accept responsibility for the funeral costs

Usually, it is reasonable for the nearest relative of the person who died to accept responsibility for the funeral costs. A nearest relative could be a partner, child, parent or sibling. If you or your partner are not the nearest relative, you'll need to explain to us when you apply, why it's reasonable to have accepted responsibility. You can use the 'If you think there is something else we need to know' box at the end of the form to provide this information. We will call you to discuss this.