Bereavement support
On this page:
Practical guidance
See GOV.UK’s step-by-step guide which covers practical steps that need to be taken when someone dies, including how to register the death and arrange the funeral.
Local services offering personal bereavement support
Supporting people who have been bereaved
People often report that they find it difficult to speak to somebody who has been bereaved and do not always know what to say. As a result they can end up saying nothing at all but this can have the unintended consequence of making the bereaved person feel more isolated and alone.
This short video provides simple advice and tips on how to speak to and support somebody who has been bereaved.
Help with funeral costs
There is support available if you need help with the cost of a funeral or need to access bereavement benefits. If you are struggling to pay for a funeral and your only source of funding is the Funeral Expenses Payment (see below), you are advised to tell the funeral director before committing to any arrangements.
- Government Funeral Expenses Payment (you may be eligible if you receive certain benefits or tax credits and this can either be paid to an individual or directly to the funeral director, though the payment will not usually cover all the costs of the funeral).
- Advice from the Money Advice Service, which lists alternative options for paying for a funeral.
- Government Bereavement Support Payment (if you receive or are entitled to Child Benefit you may receive the higher rate).
- Government Guardian’s Allowance (if you are bringing up a child whose parents have died. If you are a lone surviving parent you may also be eligible).
- Quaker Social Action support for people struggling with funeral costs. This includes support via a pre-funeral advice line, dealing with a bill post-funeral and other useful resources.
- Child Funeral Charity
- Final Farewell
- Friends of the Elderly
- Turn2Us provides a range of financial support, including that related to bereavement