Ask a Funeral Support Payment client for evidence

If you need to request paper documents as evidence from a client, you should follow this process. You may need to request evidence when you:

• require proof of the client’s access to public funds
• need to confirm a client’s identity
• need to confirm the residency of the person who died

This is not an exhaustive list and there may be other situations where you need to request paper documents as evidence.

How to contact the client

If the client gives us their phone number, always try to call them first. Make sure you identify any accessibility needs before making a call.

If you’re able to call the client, complete the following steps.

1. Try to call them three times within 24 hours, at different times of the day.
2. If you cannot reach them, record details of each try with a brief description of the information or evidence needed.
3. If the client answers the call you should:
   1. ask them for more information or evidence during the call
   2. make sure they understand what is needed and how they can provide it

Clients should give photocopies of evidence. If original documents are received, we'll scan a copy and return the original document to the sender using recorded delivery.

Clients should send evidence to Social Security Scotland at:

Funeral Support Payment
P.O. Box 10311
DUNDEE
DD1 9GH

Record details of any information or evidence you ask for.

If you could not reach the client by phone, send them the relevant letter.

Action the information/evidence as appropriate.

Call the client or send a reminder letter asking for the outstanding information or evidence.

If the client did not provide the information or evidence within 7 days

Decide if more time should be allowed for the client to provide the information or evidence.

You can give the client more time to send in the evidence, if they tell us:

• they’re having difficulty obtaining the evidence
• the evidence will be available within the next week

This should be not be longer than 28 calendar days from when you first requested the evidence. If you want to extend the time more, your Team Manager must approve this.

If the client did not provide the information or evidence in time, you’ll need to consider whether there is sufficient evidence to determine eligibility.