Our unique, digital eligibility checker for the Social Fund Funeral Expenses Payment has been developed by Down to Earth.
More information about the payment, including how to calculate the payment and how to claim, can be found in our factsheet.
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 below to help you when using the eligibility checker:
-
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: A parent or child of the person who has died. (Including if they were adopted)
- 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: 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.)
If you are accessing the eligibility checker using a mobile phone, you may find it easier to complete here: https://qsa.typeform.com/FEPeligibility