What is the Funeral Support Payment?
The Funeral Support Payment helps pay for funeral costs if you live in Scotland. You can use the payment towards funeral costs for a baby, child or adult. This includes babies who were stillborn.
It will not usually cover the full cost of the funeral but it should help to pay for some costs. It can be paid either to you or the funeral director who is helping you plan the funeral.
Only one person can get Funeral Support Payment for the funeral.
You will not be eligible if you've already had other government support for the funeral, this includes:
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Funeral Expenses Payment (England or Wales)
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Funeral Payment (Northern Ireland)
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your hospital arranging and paying for your baby's funeral if you had a stillbirth and you did not have to pay any other costs
Definition of a funeral for Funeral Support Payment
A funeral is the burial or cremation of the person who died. It does not include:
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a memorial service or remembrance event, if it is separate from the burial or cremation
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burying someone’s ashes after they’ve been cremated
Who can apply for the Funeral Support Payment?
You can get a Funeral Support Payment if all of the following apply:
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you live in Scotland
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you or your partner are getting certain benefits or tax credits
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the person who died lived in the UK
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the funeral is being held in the UK or in some circumstances in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland
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you are applying after the person has died, until 6 months after the date of their funeral
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you or your partner are responsible for the funeral
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it is reasonable for you or your partner to accept responsibility for the funeral costs
What benefits do I need to receive to be eligible?
You or your partner must get one or more of the following:
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Child Tax Credit
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Universal Credit (UC)
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Income Support
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Pension Credit
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Working Tax Credit (disability or severe disability element)
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Housing Benefit
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income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA), not contribution-based JSA
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income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), not contribution-based ESA
How do I apply for the Funeral Support Payment?
Before applying for Funeral Support Payment, you should:
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check that you're eligible for Funeral Support Payment
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consider giving your funeral director consent to speak with Social Security Scotland about your application
To complete this form, you will need:
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your National Insurance number
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details of the funeral director
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any travel receipts or funeral bills you have so far
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your bank account details, if you'd like Social Security Scotland to pay you and not your funeral director
For more information about the Funeral Support Payment, please visit the website:- https://www.mygov.scot/funeral-support-payment to find out more about your eligibility and how to apply.
If you need some help to check your eligibility or need additional help in your application, please visit your local citizens advice bureau, you can find your closest centre by visiting their website:- https://www.cas.org.uk/bureaux