Riverside Funeral Services, Spalding

It is a very difficult time as it is, and then there may possibly be the worry of paying for the Funeral.


Get advice from the Department Of Work & Pensions, and Links to help you through this troubled time.


Firstly:

Never order what you know you can''t afford, tell us at the beginning whether there may be problems in paying for what you need, that way we can help and advise you right from the start.


Also: 

You may be eligible for assistance through the Department Of Work and Pensions, formerly the Department Of Social Security ( DSS )

But always remember YOU MAY NOT GET THE HELP from the Department Of Work and Pension's that you may have applied for: So at the end of the process whichever way the decision goes, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE and LIABLE FOR PAYMENT OF THE FUNERAL, ALWAYS.  The Department Of Work And Pensions ONLY ASSIST YOU in the PART PAYMENT of the Funeral, so YOU will have to Pay the rest owing. You may be awarded an amount of £1'200.00, but there are no Guarantees.


ARE You Eligible, AND:

Who can get a Funeral Payment From The Department Of Work & Pensions?

The person who has died must have been ordinarily resident in the UK at the date of death, and the funeral must normally take place in the United Kingdom.

HOWEVER, in certain circumstances, a Funeral Payment may be made for a funeral which takes place elsewhere in the European Economic Area (EEA) or in Switzerland.

Members of the EEA are: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and the United Kingdom.

However, the amount awarded will be restricted to the amount which would have been paid, if the funeral had taken place in the area where the deceased had lived in the United Kingdom. So you will have to find any difference in costs over the allocated amount given by the Department of Work & Pensions.

You are eligible for a Funeral Payment if it is reasonable for you or your partner to take responsibility for the funeral costs and you are getting any of the following:

  • Income Support
  • Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
  • Employment and Support Allowance (income-related)
  • Pension Credit
  • Housing Benefit
  • Council Tax Benefit
  • Working Tax Credit where a disability or severe disability element is included in the award
  • Child Tax Credit at a rate higher than the family element.


Who should claim?

You should claim if you are the surviving partner of the deceased. Husband/Wife/Partner Or the Nearest Surviving Relative. If there are no nearer relatives, then The Closest Friend of the person that has died can apply.

Where the person who died is a child, you should claim if you are the parent of, or person responsible for that child.

The Department Of Work & Pensions will not, however, be able to make a payment if there is an absent parent of the child, who has NOT been getting one of the following:

  • Income Support
  • income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
  • Employment and Support Allowance (income-related)
  • Pension Credit
  • Housing Benefit
  • Council Tax Benefit
  • Working Tax Credit where a disability or severe disability element is included in the award
  • Child Tax Credit at a rate higher than the family element.

UNLESS:  they were estranged from the child at the date of death. (By estranged I mean that there was a breakdown in the relationship between the absent parent and child.)

If you are the parent, or the partner of a parent of a stillborn child, the department of Work & Pensions does not have to take into consideration whether there is an absent parent.

If there is no surviving partner, and the deceased is not a child for whom you were receiving Child Benefit, you should claim if you are, a Parent, Son, Daughter, Close Relative or Close Friend of the person who has died. 

The Department of Work & Pensions, will NOT be able to make a payment if there is a parent, son or daughter (other than yourself) of the person who has died, who has NOT been awarded one of the qualifying benefits mentioned above.

This will not include family members who are: aged under 18, qualifying young persons for the purposes of Child Benefit, full-time students, not ordinarily resident in the UK, members of religious orders, in prison or in hospital (and who had been awarded a qualifying benefit before they entered prison or hospital), asylum seekers being supported by the National Asylum Support Service, or a parent, son or daughter who was estranged from the person who has died.

Where you claim as a parent, son, daughter, close relative or close friend, the department of Work & Pensions also have to decide whether it was reasonable for you to have accepted responsibility for the funeral expenses. The Department of Work & Pensions do this by considering the nature and extent of your contact with the person who has died.

Where there are other close relatives of the deceased, the Department of Work & Pensions consider the nature and extent of the contact, that each of those relatives had with the person who has died. This will NOT include close relatives who are: aged under 18, qualifying young persons for the purposes of Child Benefit, full-time students, not ordinarily resident in the UK, members of religious orders, in prison or in hospital (and who had been awarded a qualifying benefit before they entered prison or hospital) or asylum seekers being supported by the National Asylum Support Service.

If you had the MOST contact, then you may be entitled to a payment. If any close relative had CLOSER contact than you, then you will NOT be entitled to a Funeral Payment. However, if one or more of the deceased's close relatives had EQUALLY close contact as you with the deceased, the department of Work & Pensions will go on to consider the financial circumstances of those people. Which can mean they become COMPLETELY RESPONSIBLE for the funeral payments, if they do NOT receive any of the benefits below.

If those close relatives are not in receipt of a qualifying benefit, i.e.:

  • Income Support
  • or income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
  • or Employment and Support Allowance (income-related)
  • or Pension Credit
  • or Housing Benefit
  • or Council Tax Benefit
  • or Working Tax Credit where a disability or severe disability element is included in the award
  • or Child Tax Credit at a rate higher than the family element [See Legislation (4) above]

 IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE ANY OF THE ABOVE, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RECEIVE A FUNERAL PAYMENT.

What the Funeral Payment covers

A Funeral Payment can help with the necessary cost of a respectful funeral within the UK (funerals in other EEA states can, in certain circumstances, be considered). This includes:

for burials:

  • the necessary cost of a new burial plot with an exclusive right of burial or the cost of reopening an existing grave
  • the necessary burial fees charged by the authority responsible for cemeteries in the area where the burial takes place or by a private grave-digger

or for cremations:

  • the necessary fees charged by the authority responsible for the cremation
  • the cost of any medical references or doctor’s certificates
  • the cost of any necessary removal of an active implanted medical device (for example, a pacemaker)

and in any case:

  • the cost of documentation needed for the immediate release of assets of the deceased
  • when it is necessary to move the body over 50 miles within the UK to the funeral director’s premises or place of rest, the reasonable cost of that part of the journey which is over 50 miles
  • where the return journey to the funeral is necessarily over 50 miles, the reasonable cost of that part of the return journey that is over 50 miles for the transport of the coffin and bearers, plus one additional vehicle
  • the necessary cost of a return journey for you, either to:
    • arrange the funeral, or
    • go to the funeral
  • up to £700 for any other funeral expenses.

Payments WILL be affected by a pre-paid funeral plan.

If you have any savings

Your savings MAY affect Funeral Payments.

How to claim.

Contact the Department Of Work & Pensions Bereavement Service. Where appropriate, they can take your Funeral Payment claim over the phone.

Or make a written claim by completing form SF200 'Funeral Payments from the Social Fund', available from Jobcentre Plus.

When to claim.

You must claim a Funeral Payment from the date of death and up to THREE MONTHS after the date of the funeral. If you are waiting for a decision on a qualifying benefit or entitlement you must still claim within the time limit above.

How Funeral Payments are made.

If the funeral director's bill has not already been paid, the Department Of Work & Pensions will usually pay the Funeral Payment directly into the funeral director's bank account. Or they may send YOU a cheque made out to the funeral director for you to give to them.                                                                                                        

If the funeral director's bill has been paid they will make the payment to YOU, normally direct into your bank or building society account.                                                   

Click on this link for further advise ( Funeral Payments ) and filling in the forms.

Repayment of the Funeral Payment

If you get a Funeral Payment, it will have to be paid back from any estate of the person who died if they have one. The estate means any money, property and other things that the deceased person owned.

A house or personal things that are LEFT to their widow, widower or surviving civil partner will NOT be counted as part of their estate.  

To contact the Department Of Work & Pensions, telephone your local Jobcentre Plus Office,                                                                                                                  

Spalding's Jobcentre Plus Office is: (01775) 653500.                                                                                                                                                                                                             

Address: Broadgate House, Westlode Street, Spalding, PE11 2BQ, and ask for the Department of Work & Pensions Office / Funeral Payment Assistance.                      

Or go to their Web Site address: http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/ and for tax and benefit's support click on the link below.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/On_a_low_income/index.htm

IF required we can lower the costs, to around or nearer the Department Of Work & Pensions payment figure for your case.

As it stands our Full Basic Funeral at Boston Crematorium is £2'694.00, All inclusive, which includes, Funeral Directors Fees, Coffin, Hearse & Gentlemen, Minister, Crematorium Fee and Doctors Fees.

But with certain financial requirements or just family wishes of course, we can go lower, but this does mean that the funeral will be without certain disbursements, you could say, NOT use the Hearse, and maybe use our into care unit/ambulance instead, or possibly don't use a Minister, a family member can take the service for you, with advice and guidance of course, or have no service at all, and just say goodbye before the day of the funeral, and leave the rest to us, then at a later date say, have a Memorial Service at a Church or Chapel. Some families have no service at all, because that's what Mum/Dad wanted. The choice is yours, I am here to carry out your wishes whatever they may be.

ANY INQUIRIES OR QUESTIONS, PLEASE TEL: 01775 722567 and ask for Kevin,

24 Hour Tel. 01775 722567

OR E-MAIL:  riversidefuneralservices@sky.com and I will answer your questions as soon as I can.

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