Dying Matters Awareness Week highlights help for funerals

Dying Matters Awareness Week aims to break down the stigma and taboos surrounding talking about death and dying. It runs from 5 to 11 May and is organised by Hospice UK.

One of the hardest things to talk about when a friend or relative dies is how to pay for the funeral.

People in Scotland who need help paying for a funeral, and who get Universal Credit or other qualifying benefits, can apply for Funeral Support Payment. It can be used towards funeral costs for a baby, including stillborn babies, a child or an adult.

Funeral Support Payment can help pay for: burial or cremation costs, travel, moving the person who died and the relevant documents.

The payment doesn’t usually cover the full cost of a funeral but the average payment in 2024/25 up to 31 December 2024 has been just over £2,100.

The theme of this year's Dying Matters campaign is: The Culture of Dying Matters. Different cultures have widely different funeral rites and rituals but the central tenet they share is honouring the person who has died and recognising their life.

Research carried out for the Marie Curie charity found that people want to commemorate the life which has ended with meaning and dignity. There are strong emotions around funerals and how much they cost.

Funeral Support Payment supports people in their grief. While it doesn’t usually cover the full cost of a funeral, it does help people respectfully mark the life of their friend or relative.

It isn’t a loan and doesn’t need to be paid back although Social Security Scotland will recover the payment from the estate of the person who died, if they have left any financial assets.

There is also a flat rate for any other expenses. This is £1,279.15 for most applications or £156.10 if the person who died had a fully paid funeral plan in place.

People may be eligible for Funeral Support Payment if they meet all of the criteria below:

• they live in Scotland
• they or their partner are getting certain benefits or tax credits*
• the person who died lived in the UK
• the funeral is being held in the UK, in some circumstances in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, and anywhere in the world outside the UK in exceptional circumstances.

• they are applying after the person has died, until 6 months after the date of their funeral
• they or their partner are responsible for the funeral costs
• it is reasonable for them or their partner to accept responsibility for the funeral costs.

* Universal Credit (UC), Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income related Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit, Child Tax Credit (CTC) and disability or severe disability element of Working Tax Credit.

People can find out more and apply online at mygov.scot/funeralsupport. People can also apply in person, over the phone or ask for a paper application form by post by calling us free on 0800 182 2222.

Before applying for Funeral Support Payment, people should register the death or stillbirth and can give their funeral director (if they have one) permission to speak with Social Security Scotland about their application.

Case Study

Helene Rodger from the Passion4Fusion multi-cultural charity said:

“I’d never heard about the funeral payment until we lost a community member to cancer who I’d supported through her illness.

“I was asked to step in and claim for the funeral fund. When I called, I expected it would be very intrusive with lots of questions but that was far from the truth.

“I don't remember the name of the adviser, but she treated my enquiry with so much respect and grace. The process was very easy and smooth and eventually I got the money for the funeral cover. The professionalism and empathy that I was treated with was amazing.”