Help paying for a funeral: your options if you're struggling with the cost

If you’re reading this because you don’t know how you’re going to pay for a funeral, you are not alone, and there is no shame in needing help. The average UK funeral now costs well over £3,800, and funeral poverty – where families borrow, sell possessions, or go without to cover the cost – affects a significant number of households every year. There are practical routes to reduce the cost, get financial help, and, if it comes to it, ensure a funeral happens even when no one can pay for it.

This guide sets out every realistic option in order: government grants, charitable and local support, ways to cut the cost of the funeral itself, and what happens if none of that is enough. If you’re already receiving means-tested benefits, start with the Funeral Expenses Payment – it’s the largest single source of help and this guide complements it by covering everyone else, and everything else.

Start here: are you eligible for a government grant?

If you or your partner receive Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Housing Benefit, or a Support for Mortgage Interest loan, you may qualify for the DWP’s Funeral Expenses Payment. It pays burial or cremation fees in full plus up to £1,000 towards other costs, though the amount depends on the estate and any existing insurance or savings. Full eligibility rules, the “better-placed person” restriction, and how to apply are covered in our dedicated guide: Funeral Expenses Payment: eligibility, cover and how to claim.

In Scotland, the equivalent scheme is Funeral Support Payment, run by Social Security Scotland, with a higher flat rate of £1,257.75 towards other costs. See Funeral Support Payment (Scotland) for details.

Both schemes have a six-month claim deadline from the date of the funeral, and neither covers the full cost of an average funeral. If you don’t qualify for either, or the payment leaves a shortfall, the rest of this guide is for you.

Free advice: Down to Earth (Quaker Social Action)

Down to Earth is the UK’s dedicated funeral poverty advice service, and the best first call if you’re not sure where to start. Run by the charity Quaker Social Action, it has helped thousands of people across the UK plan a more affordable funeral since 2010. Advisers can talk through your specific situation, help you identify ways to reduce costs, point you towards government and charitable support you might not know about, and explain the public health funeral route if that’s where things are heading.

The service is free and aimed specifically at people on a low income or struggling with funeral costs – you don’t need to be on a particular benefit to use it. It covers practical guidance across reducing costs, raising money, understanding government support, and what happens after the funeral. Because demand fluctuates, phone lines can be busy or temporarily closed at peak times – check the current contact details and hours on their website before calling. (Source: Quaker Social Action – Down to Earth, last verified 29 August 2026.)

Charitable and local grants: Turn2us

Turn2us runs a free grants search tool that can surface charitable and welfare funds you wouldn’t otherwise know existed. It doesn’t provide funeral funding directly, but its search tool matches your circumstances – employment history, membership of a trade or profession, service in the armed forces, local connections – against thousands of grant-giving charities, some of which specifically help with funeral costs or general hardship. Turn2us also maintains a dedicated page on funeral costs people can’t afford, which points towards Down to Earth as the specialist service and lists other bereavement benefits worth checking. (Source: Turn2us – Getting help with funeral costs I can’t afford, last verified 29 August 2026.)

Worth checking specifically:

• Trade unions and professional bodies – if the person who died (or you) belonged to one, it may run a benevolent fund for members’ families
• The Royal British Legion and other service charities, for veterans and their families
• Faith communities – many congregations have hardship funds or will help arrange a simple funeral for a member
• Employer death-in-service benefit – a workplace pension or life cover may include a lump sum, sometimes arriving faster than other support

Local authority welfare funds

Many councils run a local welfare assistance fund (sometimes called a hardship fund or crisis fund) that can help with a range of emergency costs, occasionally including funeral expenses, separate from the statutory public health funeral duty described below. These funds are discretionary, vary significantly between councils, and are not always advertised. Contact your local council’s welfare rights or social services team directly and ask what discretionary support exists – Citizens Advice can help you find the right department if you’re not sure who to contact. (Source: Citizens Advice – Arranging a funeral, last verified 29 August 2026.)

Cutting the cost of the funeral itself

Reducing what the funeral costs in the first place often makes more difference than any single grant.

Direct cremation

Direct cremation is the lowest-cost lawful funeral option in the UK, averaging £1,628 in 2026 against £3,828 for a simple attended funeral. There’s no service and no mourners present at the crematorium – the body is collected, cremated, and the ashes returned to the family, usually within two to three weeks. Families remain free to hold a memorial afterwards, at any time and any place, without the cost of a crematorium slot. Specialist providers typically charge from around £1,095. Full details, provider comparisons, and how the process works are in our guide to direct cremation.

Simpler choices within a traditional funeral

If a direct cremation doesn’t feel right for your family, smaller choices can still bring the cost down significantly: a cardboard or simple veneer coffin instead of solid wood, one car instead of a hearse-and-limousine package, a shorter service, fewer flowers, and choosing a weekday off-peak slot at the crematorium where prices are often lower. Ask the funeral director for an itemised quote and query anything you don’t need – you are not obliged to accept a standard package. Our funeral costs guide breaks down what each element typically costs, so you know where the money is going.

Compare funeral directors

Prices for the same standard of service vary considerably between funeral directors, even in the same town. Get quotes from at least two or three before committing, and ask specifically what’s included – some quotes exclude disbursements like the doctor’s cremation certificate or the celebrant’s fee, which then appear as extras later.

Payment plans

Many funeral directors will let you pay in instalments, or hold off invoicing while a Funeral Expenses Payment claim is processed. Ask before you sign anything, and get any agreement in writing. Be cautious of commercial funeral loans or credit offered elsewhere – check the interest rate carefully, since it can add a meaningful amount to what you eventually repay.

Crowdfunding

Some families raise part or all of the funeral cost through a crowdfunding page shared with friends, family, and the wider community. It works best where there’s a broad network willing to contribute, and it’s unpredictable, so it’s rarely something to rely on as a sole plan – but it can meaningfully close a gap alongside the other options here.

If you cannot afford any funeral at all

If, after exploring the options above, there is no way to pay for a funeral – no benefit entitlement, no family who can contribute, no estate, nothing left to raise – the local authority has a legal duty to step in.

What a public health funeral is

Under the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 (England and Wales), a council must arrange a funeral where “no suitable arrangements for the disposal of the body have been or are being made.” This is sometimes called a public health funeral, and was historically known as a “paupers’ funeral” – councils no longer use that term, and there is nothing to be ashamed of in needing this route. It is a legal duty, not charity. (Source: gov.uk – Public health funerals: good practice guidance, last verified 29 August 2026.)

What it involves

• The council arranges and pays for a basic cremation or burial, including a coffin and a funeral director
• Councils are expected to respect the deceased’s known wishes on burial versus cremation, and to accommodate religious or cultural requirements where they can
• The family does not attend as the arranger – the council makes the decisions on the form and content of the service, though most allow family and friends to attend if they wish
• There is no direct cost to the family, though councils have limited budgets and will first check whether other help – such as a DWP grant, an estate, or a liable relative – is available

How to ask for one

There’s no separate application form. Contact your local council’s environmental health, bereavement services, or adult social care team, explain the situation, and they will talk you through what happens next – often, the process starts through a hospital, care home, GP, or the coroner rather than the family directly, but you can also raise it yourself if a death has happened and no one is able to arrange or pay for the funeral. Provision varies between councils, and coverage has been criticised as inconsistent in some areas – if you’re struggling to get a response, Down to Earth’s advisers can help you push the request through.

What to avoid

Avoid taking out high-interest credit or a funeral-specific loan before checking every grant and free-advice route above – the interest can turn a manageable shortfall into a much larger debt. Be wary of any organisation that asks for money upfront to “release” a grant or charitable payment; legitimate charities and government schemes never charge a fee to apply. Don’t assume you have to accept the first funeral director quote you’re given – prices and package inclusions vary more than most people expect, and asking questions costs nothing. Above all, don’t let embarrassment stop you calling Down to Earth or your council – funeral poverty is common, and asking for help is exactly what these services exist for.

Summary

If cost is a worry, start with the DWP Funeral Expenses Payment (or Funeral Support Payment in Scotland) if you’re on a qualifying benefit. Whether or not you qualify, Down to Earth offers free, judgement-free advice on cutting costs and finding funding, and Turn2us can help you find local and charitable grants. Direct cremation is the cheapest lawful option at around £1,628 on average. If nothing else is possible, your local council has a legal duty to arrange a funeral at no cost to the family.

For the full picture on typical funeral costs and where the money goes, see our guide to funeral costs in the UK. If you haven’t yet looked at what a funeral involves step by step, our funeral planning checklist covers the whole process from registering the death onwards. If a funeral director’s final bill doesn’t match what you were quoted, see our guide to how to complain about a funeral director.

Sources last verified: 29 August 2026, from gov.uk – Public health funerals, Quaker Social Action – Down to Earth, Turn2us, and Citizens Advice.