Funeral Expenses Payment — Who Qualifies and How to Claim

What Funeral Expenses Payment Is

Funeral Expenses Payment (FEP) — sometimes called a Funeral Payment — is a grant from the Department for Work and Pensions' Social Fund. It is designed to help people on low incomes meet the cost of a funeral they are responsible for arranging.

It is not a universal grant — it is specifically for people receiving certain qualifying means-tested benefits. The average UK funeral costs around £4,141 (2026 figures), and the payment is unlikely to cover this in full, but it can significantly reduce what you need to find from elsewhere.

Who Can Claim

You must be receiving a qualifying benefit

You or your partner must be receiving at least one of the following at the time you apply:

• Universal Credit
• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Pension Credit
• Housing Benefit
• The disability or severe disability element of Working Tax Credit
• Child Tax Credit

You must be responsible for the funeral

You must be the person who accepted responsibility for arranging and paying for the funeral. This includes partners, close family members, friends, or anyone else who has taken on this role.

Your relationship to the deceased

You can claim as the partner (married, civil partner, or cohabiting), a close relative (parent, child, sibling), a close friend, or a person who accepted responsibility because there was no family. DWP will consider whether it was reasonable for you to accept that responsibility.

Where the funeral is held

The funeral must generally take place in the UK (with some limited exceptions for EEA nationals).

What It Covers

The payment covers two categories of costs:

Essential costs — fully covered, no cap

• Burial or cremation fees (paid in full, no limit)
• The cost of obtaining the death certificate (in full)
• Travel costs to arrange or attend the funeral
• The cost of moving the body within the UK, if over 50 miles

Other funeral costs — up to £1,000

Up to £1,000 towards other necessary costs, such as the funeral director's fees, a coffin, and the service. This cap means FEP will rarely cover the full funeral director's bill on its own, but it makes a meaningful contribution.

What is deducted from your payment

The FEP is treated as an advance against the estate. If the deceased left money, property, or other assets, the DWP will seek to recover what they paid from those assets. However, the following are excluded from recovery: a house or personal possessions left to a widow, widower, or surviving civil partner.

Any contributions from other people towards the funeral costs — such as family members, the deceased's estate directly, or any insurance payouts — will be deducted from the amount FEP pays.

How to Apply

You can apply online, by phone, or by post. The deadline is 6 months from the date of the funeral.

Online or by phone (recommended)

Apply at gov.uk/funeral-payments, or call the DWP Bereavement Service on 0800 731 0469 (free, Monday–Friday 8am–6pm). Applying by phone is often faster, and an adviser can also check whether you are entitled to other bereavement benefits at the same time.

By post

Download and complete form SF200 from GOV.UK, then send it to: Freepost DWP Funeral Payments (no stamp or postcode required). You can also drop it in at your nearest Jobcentre Plus.

What you will need

• Your National Insurance number
• Details of the benefits you are receiving
• The deceased's National Insurance number (if known)
• The name and address of the funeral director
• An invoice or estimate from the funeral director showing itemised costs
• Details of any money from the estate, insurance policies, or contributions from others

What Happens After You Apply

DWP typically processes claims within 3–4 weeks. If the funeral has not yet been paid for, the payment goes directly to the funeral director. If you have already paid, it will be paid into your bank account.

If your claim is refused, you have the right to ask DWP for a Mandatory Reconsideration, and then to appeal to an independent tribunal if you remain unhappy. Citizens Advice can help you challenge a decision.

Funeral Support Payment in Scotland

Scotland has replaced the UK-wide Funeral Expenses Payment with its own Funeral Support Payment, administered by Social Security Scotland. It is more generous than the equivalent payment in England and Wales.

The Scottish Funeral Support Payment covers:

• Full burial or cremation fees (no cap)
• Up to £1,327.75 towards other funeral costs (as of May 2026)

Eligibility rules are broadly similar to England and Wales — you must be on a qualifying benefit and responsible for the funeral. Apply at mygov.scot/funeral-support-payment or call Social Security Scotland on 0800 182 2222.