Can’t afford a funeral for a loved one? Here’s where to get financial help
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The median cost of a funeral in the United States — including a viewing and burial — ranged from $7,640 to more than $9,000 in 2019, the most recent year for which numbers are available.
That didn’t include cemetery cost, the price of a headstone and miscellaneous items that have to be paid for on the spot, including flowers and the obituary, according to the National Funeral Directors Association.
So what happens when a family can’t pay?
Some religious organizations will help active members with funeral costs; check with their fundraising office to see if that’s available. GoFundMe, the crowdsourcing platform, is also widely used.
Funeral homes can direct families to crime victim funds and other government programs that can help them pay for services they can’t afford.
Crime victims
▪ In Kansas, the Kansas Crime Victims Compensation Board provides reimbursement for the partial cost of a funeral, burial or cremation of a victim — up to $5,000 — through the Attorney General’s Office. ag.ks.gov. 785-296-2359.
▪ In Missouri, Crime Victims’ Compensation administered by the Missouri Department of Public Safety offers a maximum of $5,000 for funeral expenses for victims, if eligible. dps.mo.gov. 573-526-6006 or 800-347-6881.
Indigent residents
Some local governments step in to make funeral arrangements — almost always cremation — for people who have no family, assets or money. The help is seen as a last resort.
Missouri offers benefits that Kansas does not.
In Platte County, for example, the Public Administrator’s Office manages the county’s indigent fund, which, in specific situations, can help with limited end of life services for indigent people who die in the county, said administrator Shanna L. Burns.
Here are some sources in the Kansas City area, listed on the website of the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Greater Kansas City, funeralskc.org:
▪ Jackson County: County counselor’s office, 816-881-3355.
▪ Platte County: Public administrator’s office, 816-858-2130.
▪ Clay County: Public administrator’s office, 816-407-3250.
In Kansas, though, no funds are available to help offset the cost of an indigent death, according to the website of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Counties are also under no obligation to help the poor pay for burial expenses.
But Kansas law holds counties responsible for paying for the burial or cremation of unclaimed bodies.
Johnson, Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties, for instance, generally help only when bodies are unclaimed by family or friends, according to the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Greater Kansas City.
GoFundMe
Many people who need help paying for a funeral turn to crowdfunding. GoFundMe has a list of crowdfunding sources, a how-to guide on its website — such as detailing specific funeral costs — and templates to use when requesting help. Visit gofundme.com/c/blog/ask-donations-funeral-expenses.
“Funeral donation requests are typically asked when informing others of a loss, within your loved one’s obituary, or during the funeral service itself,” says GoFundMe’s website.
“Creating a personal connection to your fundraiser will inspire more people to donate. Tell the story of your lost loved one authentically, and include why each donation is so important to you and your family.”
Veterans
Benefits for veterans include a grave site in any national cemetery with available space, opening and closing of the grave, perpetual care, a government headstone or marker and burial flag — free to the family.
Some burial benefits are also available to spouses. Funeral or cremation arrangements, not covered by this benefit, should be made with a funeral provider or cremation office. The benefits are detailed in the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Planning Your Legacy: VA Survivors and Burial Benefits Kit. www.cem.va.gov. 800-827-1000.
One-time Social Security payment
If the deceased has received Social Security benefits, family members could be eligible for a one-time payment of $225. Eligibility requirements are on the Social Security website, ssa.gov/benefits/survivors.
This story was originally published September 29, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
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