How much does the Funeral Expenses Payment cover?

The Funeral Expenses Payment is a Social Fund payment for someone on a qualifying means-tested benefit who is responsible for arranging a funeral. It is deliberately partial: it reduces the burden rather than removing it.

What is covered, and what is capped

Paid in full: burial fees including the plot and interment, or cremation fees including the medical referee’s costs; the death certificate and other necessary documents; travel to arrange or attend the funeral; and moving the body more than 50 miles within the UK.

Capped at £1,000 in total: the funeral director’s fees, a coffin or shroud, flowers arranged by the director, religious or other ceremony costs, and any other necessary expenses. For most funerals this element is the largest part of the bill, which is why the payment rarely covers everything.

The amount is then reduced by anything available in the deceased’s estate — savings, insurance policies or a pre-paid funeral plan — although jointly owned property is left out of account. Tell the DWP about these when you claim rather than after.

Claiming, and the refusal to watch for

• Claim on form SF200, online at GOV.UK, or by phone through the DWP Bereavement Service on 0800 731 0469.
• The deadline is six months from the date of the funeral, and late claims are not accepted. You can claim after the funeral has taken place — you do not need to apply first.
• Have ready the funeral bill or estimate, your National Insurance number, bank details, proof of your qualifying benefit and details of the estate. The DWP aims to decide within three to four weeks and can pay the funeral director direct.

The most common refusal is the "someone else could pay" test: if the DWP thinks a close relative not on a qualifying benefit could reasonably be expected to meet the cost, it can turn the claim down. Challenge that on Mandatory Reconsideration, explaining why that person could not realistically pay — estrangement, their own financial difficulty, or no real contact with the deceased. In Scotland, apply instead for the Funeral Support Payment through mygov.scot, which has its own rules.