Five years of delivering Funeral Support Payment

Forthcoming regulation changes to further support bereaved people
Funeral Support Payment turns five this month, providing £51.1 million to over 26,000 people across Scotland to help pay for funerals since it launched in September 2019.
The five-year milestone comes at the same time as legislation is laid in the Scottish Parliament, which will make improvements to the way the benefit is delivered.
The average Funeral Support Payment is now £2,065, providing crucial financial support at what is a difficult and stressful time. It is available to people living in Scotland who are responsible for paying for a funeral and receiving certain benefits or tax credits.
The money can be used towards the costs of a burial or cremation and other expenses such as funeral director fees and flowers. Applications can be made up to six months after the date of the funeral.
The regulation changes laid before the Scottish Parliament are being introduced based on feedback from past recipients and stakeholders, including the funeral industry, charities and bereavement support groups.
The proposed changes include providing assistance for funerals abroad in exceptional circumstances, refining the approach to deducting funds from the deceased’s estate and introducing more flexibility for funerals outwith the deceased’s local authority area.
The definition of funeral has also been extended to include alkaline hydrolysis, alongside cremation and burial, to ensure that the payment can be awarded if this becomes available in Scotland, and for eligible clients who choose alkaline hydrolysis for a funeral abroad.
To find out more about Funeral Support Payment visit mygov.scot/funeral-support-payment or call our specialist bereavement team on 0800 182 2222.
Background
You can find more details on the regulations being laid in the Scottish Parliament via the website
Funeral Support Payment was launched on 16 September 2019 and helps to pay for funeral costs if you live in Scotland. The payment can be used towards funeral costs for a baby, child or adult. This includes babies who were stillborn.
It usually will not cover the full cost of the funeral, but it should help pay for some costs. People can apply for support up to 6 months after the date of the funeral.
Those eligible for the Funeral Support Payment must be living in Scotland, responsible for the funeral costs and receiving certain benefits or tax credits.
Social Security Scotland offers a bereavement service of specially trained client advisers to help people reporting a death and is also connected to the UK-wide Tell Us Once scheme, which lets government departments and local councils know when someone has died.
Clients can choose to apply online at mygov.scot/funeral-support-payment via a paper application form or by calling Social Security Scotland’s specially trained bereavement team free on 0800 182 2222.