There are rules about how a funeral should be paid for.
If the person who died has left money behind, the funeral is one thing that it should be used to pay for. Some banks will allow you to take the funeral director’s invoice to them so it can be paid directly, or, if you are using a legal representative to manage the estate, you can give it to them to handle on your behalf.
However, you cannot use all the money left to pay for a lavish funeral if there are other debts and legacies to be paid, such as money left to named individuals or charities.
Please call us for advice if you are unsure about how to approach this scenario – 0800 0246 121.
If the money left by the person who has died is very little, all may have to be used to pay for a simple funeral and there may be nothing left for family members and other beneficiaries. However, if the deceased did not leave an estate to pay for their funeral, did not have a funeral plan or insurance in place, and the family is unable to pay for the funeral, the next of kin can make an application to the DWP via the Social Fund.
