Our unique, digital eligibility checker for the Social Fund Funeral Expenses Payment has been developed by Down to Earth after 15 years front-line experience supporting individuals who are struggling with funeral costs.
The checker can only be used where:
- The person who has taken responsibility for the funeral costs is ordinarily resident in England, Wales or Northern Ireland
- The person who died was ordinarily resident in the UK
- You’re arranging a funeral in the UK, the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland
More information about the payment, including how to calculate the payment and how to claim, can be found in our guide to Government support following a bereavement.
During the checker, we use specific terms to describe relatives and friends. These are defined by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Department for Communities (DfC). We have listed their definitions to help you when using the eligibility checker.
Partner
Partner
A person who lived with the person who has died as if they were married.
This should also be the case where two people are married to each other or in a civil partnership and living in the same care establishment, or were partners immediately before moving into a care establishment.
Immediate Family Member
Immediate Family Member
A parent or child of the person who has died. (Including if they were adopted).
Close Relative
Close Relative
Step-parents, parents-in-law, step-children, children-in-law, siblings, half-siblings and siblings-in-law of the person who has died. (Including if they were adopted).
Close Friend
Close Friend
A relative of the person who has died, who was not in the groups above (for example a grandchild) or a friend of the person who has died. (The relationship did not necessarily have to last for a long time -the depth of the relationship is more important than the duration.)
The person making the claim for the Funeral Expenses Payment must be the person taking responsibility for the funeral costs, or their partner. This is normally the person whose name is going to be on the funeral bill.
You might be able to claim some help towards funeral costs from the Social Fund if somebody close to you has died. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), or the Department for Communities (DfC) will assess your eligibility to claim using these criteria.
Please note: This is not an application for the Social Fund Funeral Expenses Payment and is only intended as a tool to check eligibility.
To see the ways to make a claim, visit the relevant Government website for England & Wales or Northern Ireland.