Public health funerals
Find out about public health funerals for people who have died within our borough and have no family members, or other willing and able parties to make funeral arrangements.
Recovering public health funeral costs
When someone dies, their estate, meaning their assets and belongings, are generally used to cover funeral expenses. However, secured debts like mortgages or secured loans are an exception and won't be used for this purpose.
We have the authority to reclaim funeral costs from the deceased's estate, plus an administrative fee. We may try to recover funeral costs from the deceased's estate or, if applicable, from family members.
To reclaim funeral costs from the deceased's estate, we may need to access the property to find items belonging to the estate and important documents such as:
- bank accounts
- savings
- investments
- insurance policies
Family and friends are asked not to remove any items from the property before our search is conducted.
If the estate doesn't cover the full funeral cost, we will pay the remaining balance.
If there's no estate at all, we will cover the remaining amount, and no costs will be reclaimed.
Assistance with funeral costs
If you wish to take responsibility for the funeral but need financial assistance, you may be eligible for a Funeral Expenses Payment from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
This payment can contribute towards funeral costs but may not cover the full expense. Eligibility details and application information can be found on the GOV.UK website.
Other forms of financial support include:
- The Children’s Funeral Fund for England (for child funerals in England and Wales)
- Bereavement Support Payment
Charitable organisations may also help. For example you can visit the Turn2Us website. You will be able to find charities that may be able to help.
If the deceased family are making arrangements, we will have no further involvement with the funeral.