Funeral travel costs

Some client travel costs and transportation of the body costs can be paid as part of Funeral Support Payment.

Costs should only be awarded if you think they’re reasonable. You should look at the facts of each case when judging whether the costs are reasonable.

Follow the client travel costs guidance and transportation of the body costs guidance for more information on the costs you can award.

Funeral Support Payment will cover the cost of one return journey either:

• to arrange the funeral (normally from the client’s home to the funeral director’s location and back again)
• to attend the funeral (normally from the client’s home to the funeral location and back again)

The client can choose which journey we pay for. However, the amount awarded cannot be more than the cost of one return journey from the client’s home to the funeral location.

There can be multiple parts to the journey. For example:

• a bus to the train station
• a train journey to the funeral
• the same transport home

Deciding whether travel costs are reasonable

Public transport or travel by car is reasonable, but there could be situations where other transport is necessary.

If you’re uncertain whether the cost is reasonable, you can ask the client for evidence. For example, receipts for train tickets or petrol.

Before asking for evidence, find out the average cost for the journey.

Things to consider when deciding whether the client’s travel costs are reasonable:

• did poor traffic conditions or roadworks increase the cost of a car journey
• was a taxi needed for accessibility
• was the cheapest seat bought (we only cover economy or standard class costs)
• was the ticket more expensive as it was bought on the day – rather than in advance
• was an extra ticket needed if the client has a carer

The client might give these details in their application. If they do not, then you should call the client to ask for these details.

After the call, update the funeral travel evidence with the new information.

If you do not think the travel costs are reasonable, raise a case query with the Decision Support Team for advice on what costs to award.

Funerals outside the local authority area

Funeral Support Payment regulations have changed. You no longer need to complete a cost comparison if the client has travel costs for a funeral outside the local authority area of the person who died. If you consider the travel costs reasonable, you should award the actual costs using the above guidance.

If the client has travel costs for a funeral outside the UK, you’ll need to complete a local authority cost comparison and then raise a case query with the Decision Support Team. The Decision Support Team says the client is eligible, you’ll need to complete a local authority cost comparison to will determine how much you can award for the client’s travel costs.

There may be situations where it’s not possible to complete a local authority cost comparison. For example, if the funeral outside the UK was a cremation but there’s no crematorium in the local authority area of the person who died. In these cases, you should award the actual costs if reasonable.

There are usually two journeys that the body makes before the funeral. This guidance explains what costs you can award for these journeys.

Journey 1

You may be able to award some costs for a return journey from the place where the body is located to either:

• the funeral director’s location
• the person who died’s home address
• somewhere else appropriate for the body to lie before to the funeral

This journey may have more than one leg. For example, if the body is transported to a mortuary first and then on to the funeral director’s location. Journey 1 only ends when the body is at its final resting place before burial, cremation or alkaline hydrolysis.

Funeral Support Payment will not cover the cost of the first 49.7 miles (80km) of travel, but you should award transportation costs above this.

For example, if journey 1 is 70 miles return, you should award the client transport costs for 20.3 miles.

Enter the total journey mileage and SPM will calculate the amount to award.

Only costs within the UK can be awarded for this journey.

Journey 2

You may be able to award some costs for a return journey from the funeral director’s location, or the place where the body is lying, to the funeral.

For journey 2, costs can include the vehicle transporting the coffin, as well as one other vehicle.

Funeral Support Payment will not cover the cost of the first 49.7 miles (80km) of this journey.

If a longer journey was unavoidable or the client is not claiming for a burial plot, you should award transportation costs over 49.7 miles.

For example, if the return journey to the crematorium was 60 miles, you should award the client transport costs for 10.3 miles.

Enter the total journey mileage and SPM will calculate the amount to award.

Working out costs

Ask the funeral director the length of both return journeys and the costs charged to the client.

If the client is not using a funeral director, ask the client the length of both return journeys and the costs they paid.

If you’re not sure what transportation of the body costs you can award, please raise a case query with the Decision Support Team.

Transportation of the body to or from abroad

For journey 1, you can only award travel costs within the UK. For example, transportation from a UK morgue to the airport/border.

For journey 2, some travel costs outside the UK may be considered.

Read Funerals outside the UK for further guidance.

Please raise a case query with the Decision Support Team if you’re not sure what costs you can award.