If you need the lowest-cost funeral available, consider arranging a simple direct cremation service.
Unfortunately, DFS Memorials is unable to offer any financial assistance, but we can help you connect with a local, low-cost cremation or funeral provider. In most areas, a low-cost direct cremation can be arranged for between $600 to $900.
FIND AN AFFORDABLE CREMATION PROVIDER NEAR YOU ->
With minimal financial resources and support offered by a state or county, you may find yourself faced with the stress of arranging a funeral with very little money. If this is the case, then you may need to consider arranging a simple, low-cost direct cremation service.
The DFS Memorials network offers direct cremation service packages very cheaply. Prices vary by state and city, but a simple, direct cremation service is your most economical option.
FIND AN AFFORDABLE CREMATION PROVIDER NEAR YOU ->
If you are faced with the task and responsibility of arranging a funeral for a family member who has just died, and you are concerned about how you can afford the cost of the funeral, this guide can hopefully support you.
Today, 76% of Americans are coping paycheck to paycheck (CNN) and 25% below the poverty line, so many families find themselves in the unfortunate position of having either no funds or minimal means by which to pay for a funeral, especially if the death of a family member was unexpected and sudden.
What low-cost funeral or cremation alternatives are there?
Suppose you find yourself responsible for making funeral arrangements with no life insurance or burial insurance policy to help cover the costs, and you have little means to pay for a funeral. In that case, you need to seek out the lowest-cost funeral option.
Visit this Guide to What to do if You cannot Afford a Funeral.
You can save on the expected cost of a full funeral service in significant ways. Various resources may help you reduce your funeral costs or contribute towards the overall funeral expenses.
What is the cheapest funeral alternative? Opt for direct cremation.
Cremation is much cheaper than a burial, and direct cremation (otherwise called immediate cremation or basic cremation) is the least expensive disposition method.
This is where the cremation is conducted without viewing, services, or ceremony, and the cremated remains are immediately returned to the family.
A simple cardboard cremation container is used, and the ashes are returned in a temporary container unless a cremation urn is selected.
You can arrange a direct cremation service in many areas of the United States for under $1,000, in fact in many metro areas the price can be as low as $500 – $700.
Check out your nearest DFS Memorials provider for the lowest direct cremation cost near you.
Is there Public Aid or State Assistance for Funeral Costs?
Whilst some states do provide some financial support with funeral expenses for families on a low income, disability, or SSI, this is NOT consistent across all states. Budgets for public aid funerals have also, unfortunately, been cut back by municipalities where budget spending requires constraining.
To find out if there is any financial support in your area, you would need to inquire with your local county human services or social services department. Below are the states that DO offer some financial support and the links to further information.
Visit our page on State Assistance to find out more.
What is Indigent Burial Assistance?
The state is, of course, obligated to attend to indigent dispositions. That is generally for those unfortunate who become the responsibility of the state and/or institutionalized.
Traditionally, the state would arrange simple pauper burials in a designated area of a municipal cemetery. Today, these indigent burial assistance programs tend to offer direct cremation as a low-cost solution to dispose of these unclaimed dead.
Are there any Social Security Death Benefits to help cover the cost of a funeral?
There is a $255 lump sum Social Security death benefit that those who qualify can claim. A funeral director can generally assist you in making a claim.
This one-off payment of $255 is made to a surviving spouse or child. Monthly benefits may be available if one meets eligibility requirements. You can contact Social Security on 1-800-772-1213 www.socialsecurity.gov
What benefits do Veterans receive to assist with funeral costs?
A veteran is entitled to free burial in a national cemetery. This includes the gravesite, opening and closing of the grave and, perpetual care for an honorably discharged veteran, spouse, or dependent child, and a free headstone or grave marker.
Contact the Veteran’s Affairs Office at 1-800-827-1000 for more information.
Is there help for victims of crime to cover funeral expenses?
Each state has a fund set up to assist the victims of crime to cover funeral expenses financially.
Contact your local Crime Victim Compensation Program to find out what help you can get.
What about Funeral financing?
Whilst we do not advocate that anyone should have to incur a debt to pay for a funeral, this is sadly an option that is being peddled to many families today. Of course, as with any other financing, you must pass the credit check requirements.
There are generally two ways funeral finance is offered. Firstly, a funeral home may work with a funeral loan company and offer your finance terms, or a few finance companies will work directly with a family to finance a funeral.
Finance for a funeral is NOT easy to come by, largely as it is not an appealing product/service for a finance house to offer credit on. Once a funeral is complete, there is quite a high chance of families defaulting on their loan, and it is not that easy to repossess a corpse!
Help from Charity Organizations to pay for a funeral
Some charitable trusts may offer a grant or financial help with funeral expenses. You can check this resource to search for a charity grants database.
Help from Trade Union Organizations to cover funeral expenses
Some Trade Union organizations will offer a financial contribution to assist a former member or the spouse of a member and some assistance with meeting funeral expenses. If you or your spouse were a member of a union, it would be well worth investigating if you can claim any assistance.
How Fund-raising can help pay for funeral expenses
Fund-raising events to help a family pay for a funeral have long been a community way to rally together and help an unfortunate family pay to bury their lost loved one. However, as more families have suffered hardship in recent years, there has not been as much disposable money to go around, even when families want to help out.
Now, a few online fund-raiser websites will allow you to start a fund-raising campaign for a funeral.
Hopefully, the advice we have briefly outlined in this article will provide valuable resources to help you find some help paying for a funeral.
State Assistance: Contact departments
CT – Dept of Social Services
DC – Dept of Human Services
MA – The Commonwealth of MA
MD – Dept of Human Resources
ME – ME General Assistance Program
NH – NH Welfare Dept
NJ – Dept of Human Services
NY – Human Resources Dept
PA – Dept of Public Welfare
RI – RI General Public Assistance
VA – Health & Human Services
VT – Agency of Human Services
WV – Dept of Health & Human Resources
I have been researching and writing about the death care industry for the past fifteen years. End-of-life services and experiences are topics most people avoid thinking about until they must face them. My work provides comprehensive and independent resources for families, explaining the workings of the funeral industry, the laws governing funeral practices, and the death care trends that impact consumers. With a BA in Cultural Studies, I bring a unique perspective to analyzing cultural death care rituals, complemented by a career background in Business Management. The death care industry is undergoing significant changes, which I find fascinating. The shift towards cremation services and the emergence of sustainable alternatives like aquamation and human composting are of particular interest. I am also intrigued by how technology is reshaping the funeral planning process and experience. I write for US Funerals Online and DFS Memorials LLC, and contribute to various forums and publications within the death care industry.
