Funerals today are very expensive and not everyone is able to afford them. Because of this some states offer burial or cremation assistance or benefits for indigent persons or families without a means to pay for funeral expenses for a loved one who received welfare of social service benefits.
Indigent persons are typically people with no family, no assets, and no money, that are left to the local government to administer the funeral arrangements (almost always direct cremation as it is the least costly). Depending on what state you are from you may receive cash benefits through welfare or social assistance to help with your funeral needs, often called Burial Assistance Programs.
If you or a loved one recently suffered the loss of a child, there are various federal and non-profit organizations that offer support for families in need of funeral assistance for their baby or child. In addition, some locally-owned funeral homes and cemeteries offer burial and cremation services for babies and children at a discounted price or free of charge. Do not hesitate to inquire with local funeral homes to see what accommodations they will make.
FEMA Financial Assistance for COVID-19 Deaths
FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, has announced that they are now providing financial assistance for COVID-19 related funeral expenses incurred after January 20, 2020. The funds were approved under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
Financial assistance is limited to a maximum of $9,000 per funeral and a maximum of $35,500 per application per state, territory, or the District of Columbia. Applicants may receive assistance for the funeral expenses of multiple deceased individuals, provided the cause of death is attributed to COVID-19 and occurred after January 20, 2020.
Read more about these dedicated funds here: FEMA Financial Assistance for COVID-19 Deaths.
Burial Assistance Programs
Below is a list of state-funded funeral assistance benefits available across the USA. Most of the states pay the burial benefit directly to the funeral home if the deceased is eligible. Be sure to read the fine print for each state for additional eligibility requirements and to check with the states website for the most up-to-date information.
| State | Requirements | Eligibility Requirements | Benefits received | Source |
| AL | The State of Alabama does not offer assistance, but assistance may available at a City, County levels. | Eligibility is dependent on county or town of residence and established financial need of the deceased and their families. | Levels of financial assistance are dependent on the program, which change without notice. Check with 2-1-1 Connect Alabama to see where assistance is available. Each county's funds varies in the amount they can offer. |
(use keyword search for "Burial" and/or "Cremation") |
| AK | The State of Alaska offers relief via the General Relief Assistance (GRA) and various Social Service Organizations provide assistance to those who hold a tribal membership. | To be eligible for GRA, there must be an immediate & specific need, the absence of other resources, and the deceased needs to be an Alaskan resident at the time of the application. | The GRA program is 100% state-funded and provides limited funds for the dignified burial of a deceased needy person. | The Department of Health & Social Services |
| AK | Various social service organizations in Alaska on a county/town and tribal basis provide assistance to eligible applicants. | Where social services are concerned, eligibility depends on the county or town of residence and basis of tribal membership. Alaska Connect 2-1-1 provides information of services provided by 22 locations in Alaska. Each county's funds may vary in the amount they can offer. | If pursuing social service assistance and the relevant parties are tribal membership holders, assistance up to $2,500 may be available. | Alaska 2-1-1 |
| AR | The state of Arkansas does not provide burial or funeral assistance; assistance is provided by the County. | Contact agency for requirements. | Assistance provided varies by county or town. No fee for service. | 2-1-1 Arkansas |
| AZ | The state of Arizona does not provide burial or funeral assistance, though some counties do. Burial assistance is provided to funeral homes for deceased individuals who are found to be financially indigent. | Eligibility requires that the individual and the family members do not have the ability to pay. The criteria for eligibility is the Federal Poverty Guidelines. This benefit is available for all indigent deaths in the County regardless of permanent residency. There is no fee, but the County reserves the right to file a lien on real property for repayment. Contact your county's social services department to inquire what services they're able to provide. | Most municipalities have a budget to cover basic funeral or cremation costs for those on welfare and without funds to pay for a funeral. Eligibility is determined by use of financial assessment forms that must be completed by the family at the funeral home and submitted to your local Public Fiduciary. The basic offer is $485 for a direct burial and $385 for a direct cremation, which is payable direct to the funeral establishment. | Arizona Department of Health |
| CA | The state of California does not provide burial or funeral assistance. | Contact your county's social services department to inquire what services they're able to provide and the eligibility requirements. Some municipalities require both the decedent and the person legally responsible for the disposition of the remains be legally indigent. | Most municipalities have a general relief budget to cover basic funeral or cremation costs for those on welfare and without funds to pay for a funeral for those on welfare or without funds to pay for a funeral. There are no provisions for services or viewing. | CA Dept of Public Health |
| CO | The state of Colorado does not provide burial or funeral assistance. Recipients of MedicAid or Social Security may be eligible for assistance. | Contact your county's Department of Human Services branch to inquire what services they're able to provide and the eligibility requirements. MedicAid and SSI recipients should review their plans and options. | Colorado's municipalities offer Burial Assistance programs which provides financial assistance to those in need to help pay for funeral, burial, or cremation costs. There is no application fee. EligibleMedic Aid and SSI recipients may be entitled to up to $1,000 in assistance. | Denver Department of Human Services |
| CT | If the recipient has no burial funds, life insurance, or any other assets then they are eligible for burial benefits. | If the deceased has any jointly held assets or is a beneficiary of a trust and whoever releasing these payments is willing to pay for the burial with this money than they are not eligible for Burial benefits. If the deceased has money being held by the Department’s Central Office than request that some of that money is used for the burial. | If eligible, Connecticut will give up to $1,800 for funeral expenses. This amount will be diminished by whatever amount of assets the deceased had left before they died. Relatives and others can also contribute a maximum of $1,000, making the total burial amount $2,800. | CT Dept of Social Services |
| DC | The deceased must have been a District resident prior to their death. | The resources of the deceased and financially accountable relative must not exceed $800. The deceased must not have a pre-paid funeral plan. | Families asking for burial assistance will receive $800 toward burial or $450 toward cremation. Family contributions cannot exceed $2,000 (not including the cost of opening and closing the grave), unless the deceased requires an oversized casket. The total cannot exceed over $3000 if the deceased requires an oversized casket. | DC Dept of Human Services |
| DE | Any person, man or woman, having a legal residence in the State of Delaware, who has been unable to obtain employment, or is unable to work, who has no property or income sufficient to provide the necessities of life, who has no permanent place of abode, and no relatives or friends to care for him or her, may be considered an indigent persons and eligible for a State burial. | Any persons found to own property, have a trust in their name, be a deserted husband or wife may be found ineligible and fees will be incurred at the expense of said property, trust or deserted relatives to cover all burial or cremation services. | Delaware will give $400-$1,500 for burial (No clear data available) in one of three Pauper Cemeteries by means of the Delaware Division of Social Services. In the event of the death of an indigent person, whether an inmate of the Home or dying outside of the Home, he or she may be buried at the public expense, on the order of the Commission, or any member thereof, but in no case shall the expense of the burial exceed One Hundred Dollars ($100) | Delaware General Welfare Law, Delaware Health and Social Services Office Locations |
| FL | Must meet poverty guideline of Florida state, or be ruled as innocent victim of crime. | Determined by county's Health & Human Services | Florida Health and Human Services is mandated by state law to provide proper burial arrangements for residents who are poverty-stricken and whose bodies are unclaimed | Florida Health and Human Services |
| GA | The family and immediate kin are indigent and unable to provide for the decent interment of the decedent, and the decedent is a pauper and destitute of the means of paying for decent interment. | A DFCS staff person will begin an investigation to verify eligibility for state burial. Items such as insurance status, property ownership, bank accounts, and other assets may be considered in the eligibility analysis. | The governing authority of the county where the death occurred shall make available from county funds a sum sufficient to provide a decent interment for the deceased pauper, or to reimburse such person as may have expended the cost voluntarily. The governing authority of the county will determine the amount though it varies somewhere between $350 and $1,200 and will be decided via each county's Indigent Burial Department. | Georgia 2-1-1 Connect |
| HI | Eligibility for the death payments program shall be limited to: (1) Medical or financial assistance recipients who were residents of the State at the time of death; or (2) Unclaimed bodies | Denied if application not submitted within sixty days from the date of death. The deceased, at the time of death, is eligible for the Social Security Administration’s one-time lump-sum death benefit or if full funeral benefits are available to the deceased from other sources including, but not limited to, pre-paid funeral or burial plans, insurance plans, associations, and clubs. | The state of Hawaii Med-QUEST Division (MQD) provides assistance to eligible low-income families. The Funeral Payments Program is limited to medical or financial assistance recipients who were residents of the State at the time of death or unclaimed bodies. An application must be submitted within 60-days of the death. An amount to the extent of $800 is payable to a licensed funeral provider. Phone (877) 628-5076 for further information. There is also a $255 lump sum death benefit payment available from Social Security for those that qualify. | Hawaii Med-QUEST |
| IA | The county's Health & Human Services department may pay some burial expenses following the death of a person receiving state supplementary assistance or who received assistance. | You are eligible if the decedent does not leave an estate which may be probated with sufficient proceeds to allow for payment of the funeral claim or monthly income is determined to be at or below 100% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. Applications must be submitted no more than 60 days following a death. | The county of residence may pay, from funds appropriated to it for the purpose, a maximum of $400 toward funeral expenses. Assistance may be available for the burial of nonresident indigent transients and the payment of the reasonable cost of burial, not to exceed $250. | 2-1-1 Iowa |
| ID | Burial expense assistance may be available to you through social security, the Veterans Administration, or through your County's Indigent Fund. | Applications must be made prior to services rendered on behalf of the county, to which each will have it's own basis of eligibility. To be eligible for burial benefits, the veteran must be in receipt of VA benefits at the time of death or must have died from a service related condition. | Anyone receiving social security is entitled to a burial benefit of $255. Burial expense assistance paid through your County Indigent Fund County will be of an amount established by the Board of County Commissioners to pay for the cremation or burial of deceased county resident or unclaimed body. (For the contact information for the Social Security Administration or County Indigent Fund near you, please call the 2-1-1 Idaho Careline at 2-1-1 or 1-800-926-2588). | 2-1-1 Idaho |
| IL | The Illinois Department of Human Services, which suffered a recent fund-cut in 2015 by Gov. Rauner, may once again pay for indigent person's burial and funeral expenses. As of May 1st, 2015, Rauner has reinstated the annual budget. | The department pays the funeral and burial expenses of a person who at the time of death: was receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) cash, Aid to the Aged, Blind, or Disabled (AABD) cash, All Kids Assist, Parent/All Kids Assist, All Kids Moms & Babies, Family Assist, AABD Medical, General Assistance Foster Care/Adoption Care, or who would qualify for All Kids Assist, Parent/All Kids Assist, All Kids Moms & Babies, AABD Medical | Maximum amount that DHS will Pay: $1,103 for a funeral, $552 for a cremation or burial | Illinois Dept of Human Services |
| IN | The state of Indiana provides burial assistance. | A recipient is eligible for Burial Assistance regardless of where their death occurs or whether the funeral and interment takes place in Indiana or elsewhere. Relatives and/or friends may contribute as much as they wish toward the funeral expenses of the deceased recipient. However, all contributions and the resources of the deceased must be considered when determining the amount, if any, of the funeral expenses to be paid by the Division. | Deceased TANF recipients are eligible for Burial Assistance, as well as recipients in the Medicaid Aged, Blind, and Disabled categories. The maximum allowable burial assistance payments are $1,200 for the funeral director's expenses and $800 for cemetery expenses, for a total of $2,000. Payment is made by the Local Office of the Division of Family Resources. | Family & Social Services Administration of Indiana |
| KS | In the state of Kansas, there are no funds available to help offset the cost of an indigent death. Counties are under no obligation to help the poor pay for burial expenses. But under state law, counties are responsible for paying for the burial or cremation of unclaimed bodies. | If the deceased is claimed, chances of assistance by the state or county are slim. | Residents of Jackson County, Missouri (816-881-3355), Platte County (816-858-2130), & Clay County (816-407-3250) should call their local administrator or county counselor's office to seek help with indigent burials or cremations. In addition, Wyandotte, Leavenworth and Johnson Counties generally help but only when bodies are unclaimed by family members or friends. Residents of other counties should contact the local sheriff’s department who may contact Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services to determine if family members would have qualified to receive funeral assistance under the previous state program, which can be used as a criteria to determine if the county should cover the expenses of $550 maximum and that is relative to each county and the funds available. Other counties will cremate the deceased in lieu of a burial. | Kansas Department of Health & Environment |
| KY | There is no state wide assistance program in the state of Kentucky although most county municipality's Coroner's office may be able to assist. | To qualify, the deceased, or his/her estate, must possess no assets of any nature which can be used or sold to pay for the cremation. If such assets are later identified, the relevant County Fiscal Court, reserves the right to recover any such financial assistance paid by the County. | In the event family or friends cannot meet the financial requirements to dispense with the remains of a loved one, some counties may offer assistance on behalf of an Indigent Cremation Assistance Program. Family members or friends of the deceased, who accept financial responsibility for dispensing with the remains, may apply for financial assistance of up to $500 towards the cremation costs of their loved ones from the county of residence of the deceased. Payment will be made directly to the vendor after application approval has been granted and an invoice is received. No visitation, grave marker or additional services at the funeral home or cemetery are currently available. Contact your local Corner's office for more detailed information. | Kentucky Coroner's Association |
| LA | Louisiana does not provide burial assistance. The burden of indigent deaths, those with no estate and no relatives, belongs to the locality of the deceased. | If the rights of the deceased are claimed by friend, relative or spouse, the burden of burial belongs to the affiliated and not the municipality; familial contributions are considered and may be taxed to the extent of Louisiana law. | The coroner shall arrange for the burial of paupers, preferably by a Louisiana licensed funeral home. The burial expenses shall not exceed the actual cost of the service, and shall be paid by the parish or municipality in which the death occurred. Although the burden of indigent and non-indigent deaths and burials must be handled by the coroner, the costs for non-indigents are taxed against the estate and the costs for indigents must be borne by the local government. Contact your local parish or county coroner for more information. | Louisiana State Coroner's Association |
| MA | The department of Social Services shall provide for the final disposition of all deceased persons who are at the time of death recipients of aid or assistance of the state and all unknown persons found dead. | The commonwealth shall have the right of reimbursement from whatever resources may exist in the estate of the deceased person, expenses from any legally liable family members, or through taxing the commonwealth. One does not need to have been a DTA recipient to qualify nor are there immigration status requirements. The deceased and any financially responsible relative (spouse or parent of a minor child) must have less than $1,100 in assets. The request for funeral and final disposition benefits must be made no later than six months from the date of death. | The commonwealth shall pay an amount not exceeding $1,100 to the funeral establishment, if the total expense of the funeral and final disposition does not exceed $3,500. Any assets of the deceased or their financially responsible relative will be deducted from $1,100 and the remaining amount up to $1,100 will be paid by DTA to the funeral director. | Resources for Final Arrangements, DTA Office Locations |
| MD | The deceased must receive aid from Maryland; whether it is Temporary Cash Assistance, SSI, General Assistance, etc. | They will not help pay for the funeral if the total cost of the funeral exceeds $2,500. | Maryland will pay up to $650 to help pay for the funeral cost in Social Security assistance. The limit of familial contribution is $850. | Dept of Human Resources MD |
| ME | The deceased must be on the general assistance program in order to receive benefits. | There must be no liable relatives who can pay for the deceased's burial. | The amount of assistance available to low-income and at-need families varies depending on the county of residence of the deceased. If the deceased is an indigent person, the municipality will assume burden of the funeral, and not the state. The funeral director of the deceased will receive $785 for cremation services and $1,125 for burial services. They will also get $50 to go towards an urn or $450 for a grave liner. If the deceased has any assets that will be subtracted from the amount of money the funeral director receives. | ME General Assistance Program |
| MI | Offers a program called ‘Home & Burial Services.' When the descendant's estate, mandatory copayments, etc., are not sufficient, burial payment assistance may be available to pay for burial, cremation, or costs associated with donation of a body to a medical school. | If the deceased's estate or mandatory co-payments on behalf of liable family members covers the cost of burial, assistance may be realized unnecessary. | An application for burial assistance must be made no later than 10 business days after the burial, cremation or donation takes place. The decedent's remains must be in Michigan. Transportation, or other charges to bring a decedent back to Michigan, is not covered. The maximum amount paid is $555. | Michigan Department of Health & Human Services |
| MN | County assistance may be available when a person dies with insufficient funds to pay for their final disposition. The amount of money available varies by county. | If financial assistance is needed, a social worker in the county of primary residence of the deceased can assist to see if you qualify. Applications must be submitted within 14 days of the date of death; the county will not reimburse payments already made. | There may be restrictions put on the goods and services available when using county assistance for a funeral. Minnesota law allows a county to use cremation in lieu of burial when there are no objections by the next-of-kin. County expenses covered vary. All assets must be applied to the county maximum payment of $2,600. Total costs of burial must not exceed $4,000. A lump-sum death benefit of $255 may be paid upon the death of a person who has worked long enough to be insured under the Social Security program (To file for the lump-sum death benefit, one should call 1-800-772-1213 to request an appointment with the local social security office.). | Minnesota Department of Health |
| MO | There is no state offered burial assistance. The Indigent Burial and Funeral Fund, split between three community foundations in the state, Greater Kansas City Community Foundation, Greater St. Louis Community Foundation and the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, serves a geographical area of the state. The CFO reimburses county or city governments to help cover the cost of indigent burials. | The CFO does not reimburse to assist funeral homes or families in making up an discrepancy or difference of cost. Eligibility depends on burden to cover the cost of the unclaimed body. When family members relinquish rights of the deceased, the remains will not be released to the family. | The current reimbursement rate is $400. | The Community Foundation of the Ozarks |
| MS | Mississippi state does not offer burial assistance. Counties provide indigents with a simple, decent burial for all persons who die in their local County without family or assets that could otherwise provide the cost or means of burial. | The County Administrator is empowered and authorized to make an initial inquiry and determination of any person on whose behalf a pauper's burial is requested and will consider whether said person has relatives liable and able to pay burial expenses, whether the deceased maintained any account(s) with a financial institution and the sums, and whether the person is being held as unclaimed by any physician, hospital, funeral director, embalmer, coroner, or other party after five (5) days' notification to relevant parties. | The pauper may be provided burial services which may include cremation, the cost of which may be partially or completely defrayed by the County as determined on a case by case basis. | Mississippi State Department of Health |
| MT | The state of Montana does not provide burial assistance although a county may provide for the burial, entombment, or cremation of indigents. The Coroner is also responsible for administering the funds for indigent burials. | A county may establish the criteria for determining eligibility for assistance, including but not limited to residency requirements, limits on income and resources, and the amount of assistance. | The county coroner negotiates and pays the negotiated amount due to the funeral home or mortician for an indigent burial. Assistance provided varies. Many city and county governments across Montana, including Missoula County, don’t pay for indigent burials and the burden is is, at times, left to the funeral home. | Montana Coroner Directory |
| NC | The state of NC does not provide burial or funeral assistance. | For Unclaimed Bodies: the director of the county department of social services in which an unclaimed body (decedent) is located is responsible for its final disposition, either by cremation or burial. If a decedent’s estate cannot cover burial expenses, then the decedent’s county of residence will bear the expense. If the county of residence is unknown, then the expenses will be borne by the county in which the death occurred. | There is no state-wide indigent burial fund, and any county assistance is very limited. Individuals should check with the local county department of social services to determine if any assistance or resource is available. | NC Division of Health & Human Services |
| ND | The state of North Dakota does not provide assistance for burials. If the deceased did not leave sufficient means to defray funeral expenses, including the cost of a casket, the county social service board of residence or the county social service board of the county in which the death occurs shall employ some person to arrange burial or cremation. | No clear data | The General Assistance Program is an emergency assistance program intended to meet basic maintenance needs of families in financial crisis, disabled adults, and burial of deceased poor persons. The amount provided varies by county; can be from $300 to $3,000 | North Dakota Department of Human Services |
| NE | The state of Nebraska does not provide funding for burial assistance though some Counties provide assistance via a General Assistance program. | If the estate of the decedent and/or the income and resources of responsible relatives are insufficient to meet the cremation or burial expenses, General Assistance may be authorized to meet these expenses. The spouse of the deceased can earn no more than the federal poverty level, $903 a month for one person. And the deceased, if there is no spouse, can have no more than $800 in his or her estate. | If the decedent’s body is unclaimed by next of kin or a responsible party, then the County may authorize the body to be cremated or buried. A fee of $800 (Eight hundred dollars) will be paid for cremation services. A fee of $2,150 will be paid for county burial of an adult and a fee of $1,147 will be paid for the burial of a minor child. Amount of assistance varies by county and funding available for General Assistance. Consult with your local county or municipality for assistance information. | Nebraska Counties |
| NH | The state of New Hampshire does not provide burial assistance. Any persons have the right to be decently buried or cremated, and where applicable, at the expense of the town or city in which the assisted person was a resident. | Assistance is granted only when the individual does not have liquid assets to cover the expense of burial or cremation or where relatives, other people, the State, or other sources will not cover the entire expense of burial or cremation, and only if costs do not exceed $750.00. | The State of New Hampshire and surrounding municipalities set a rate of up to $750.00 for burial or cremation, whichever is most cost effective. If some payment has been made to the funeral home, only the difference between that payment and $750.00 will be considered. Some county's assistance burden may vary. | NH Welfare Dept, New Hampshire 2-1-1 Connect |
| NJ | A lot of people are eligible. If you are living in New Jersey and not well off apply for the recently deceased at the department of human services. | The deceased cannot die in a penile or correctional facility. | If the deceased is 2 years+ in age then the family will be given $2,246 for a funeral home, $524 for cemetery fees, and their family members/friends will be able to give up to $1,570 as supplementation money. If the deceased is 1 week-2 years old then the family will be given $1,684 towards a funeral home, $393 towards cemetery fees, and their family members/friends will be able to give up to $1,178 as supplementation money. If the deceased is a stillborn-6 days old then the family will be given $1,123 towards a funeral home, $262 for cemetery fees, and their family members/friends will be able to give up to $785 as supplementation money. | NJ Public Assistance Welfare |
| NM | The state of New Mexico assists in payment of burial expenses for an individual who was a low-income individual at the time of death. A request for payment of funeral expenses may come from the family, the mortuary, or other persons furnishing funeral services to any project area on behalf of the state General Assistance fund program. | Payment towards the burial expenses for an eligible individual may be made when the resources considered available to meet the cost of the funeral are less than $600. The deceased individual must have been a recipient of NMW, GA, refugee assistance, ARSCH or medicaid benefits from the state of New Mexico. | The department may provide up to $200.00 towards the funeral expenses recipients of financial and medical assistance if the deceased’s available resources are insufficient to pay for the funeral, the persons legally responsible for the support of the deceased are unable to pay the funeral expenses, and no other person or organization, or state agency will undertake to pay for the expenses. | New Mexico Department of Human Services |
| NV | Nevada has an indigent burial assistance program that is managed at a county level but not on a state level. | In order to qualify for assistance individuals must be a county resident or a non-Nevada resident who fell ill and died within their respective county, and meet all other financial and non-financial requirements for their household size. | For those on very low income and without income, the local county will cover the costs of a direct cremation. | Nevada 2-1-1 Connect |
| NYC | The HRA of New York City will provide financial assistance to individuals in need of assistance to meet funeral expenses | Application must be completed and submitted within 60 days of death of the individual for whom a burial allowance grant is sought. Funds are available when an indigent resident of New York City dies who may have been in receipt of Supplement Security Income (SSI), Cash Assistance (CA), or leaves no funds to cover his or her burial expenses, and there are no Legally-Responsible Relatives (LRR) able to pay the funeral expenses. | Low-income New York City residents may be eligible for up to $900 in financial assistance to meet funeral expenses of no more than $1700. The cost of cremation or grave and grave opening charges are excluded, however, the cost of burying the ashes, after cremation is not excluded in calculating the $1,700 total cost. If the total funeral bill exceeds the amount of $1,700, HRA will make no payment. Applications must be completed and taken to the Burial Claims Unit in Brooklyn in order to be considered and fulfilled. | Burial Financial Assistance |
| NY | The state of New York does not offer burial assistance and the burden falls to the County or City. | Eligibility requirements vary by county and city. | The Monroe County Funeral Assistance Program provides benefits for residents who are indigent or who have no assets to pay for their funerals. Currently, the maximum benefit is $1,250. These benefits are subject to approval and an investigation by the County. Rochester Cremation offers “No Cost” Cremation to those who qualifies and receives the maximum benefit from the Monroe County Funeral Assistance Program. Other counties and cities vary in amounts and terms of assistance. | Rochester Cremation |
| OK | Financial assistance is not available directly from any state agency. Assistance may be provided through the county. However, the administration of assistance is different from county to county. Please contact your local funeral home to find out what assistance may be available in your county. | Varies. Contact local county coroner or health department. | Some counties do provide burial or cremation assistance and you would need to contact your county social services office to inquire. There are also a few indigent and Native American burial assistance programs available in Oklahoma. There is a $255 lump sum death benefit payable from the SSA if you qualify. Veterans and certain dependents are also entitled to some benefits, which include a free cemetery plot and grave marker. In addition, home funerals and burial by the family is legal in Oklahoma though zoning laws must be followed and self-burials must be conducted outside of certain city limits. A family held funeral may help off-set costs and parties interested must consult with their local health department concerning required paperwork or stipulations. | Oklahoma Department of Human Services |
| OH | While the state of Ohio may not provide assistance for indigent burials or low income funerals, the counties and municipalities of Ohio do. Contact your local county or city to determine their procedure. | Eligibility for assistance varies according to each county. A good resource is the Ohio Township Association which prepared a Model Policy and Application for Indigent Burial. Regardless of where death occurred, if the body of a dead person is located in Ohio and is not claimed, and if the decedent is not eligible for burial assistance, then the decedent’s body must be buried at public expense. | When an indigent individual, having no legal residence in the state, dies in a transient bureau and his body is not claimed by any person for private interment, or delivered for the purpose of medical or surgical study or dissection, the indigent individual will be buried at the expense of the county. The City shall dispose of the remains of indigent persons by cremation only. The City shall pay a maximum of five hundred dollars ($500.00) for the cremation and internment of the remains of the deceased. For deceased individuals claimed by family or friend, for private burial or not, the family must work with a funeral home in order to apply for assistance. The funeral home will send the city a completed application, copy of death certificate, and itemized statement of all costs and services. The city will deny or approve the request within two weeks. Maximum assistance is $750. | Ohio County Localities |
| OR | The state of Oregon, in collaboration with the Oregon Mortuary & Cemetery Board, maintains the Indigent Disposition Program which seeks to provide licensed funeral homes with reimbursement for services for the disposition of unclaimed indigent bodies. This is a limited fund created to offset the costs incurred in providing final disposition. | Varies | A licensed funeral establishment shall submit to the Oregon Mortuary & Cemetery Board (OMCB) an itemized statement of expenses for services performed and supplies provided for disposition of unclaimed indigent bodies. For deceased individuals claimed by family or friend, who may also be indigent, they must work with a funeral home in order to apply for assistance and/or contact their local Coroner's office to determine other means of assistance. | Oregon Mortuary & Cemetery Board |
| PA | Individuals who are recipients of Cash Assistance—Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), General Assistance (GA), State Blind Pension (SBP), Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or State Supplementary Payment (SSP)—at the time of death may receive burial assistance on behalf of the state. | The deceased will not receive burial benefits if they have assets that are over $1,500 worth in value. Also if the deceased has a relative that can pay for their burial they become liable. | The deceased will receive $750 to help cover burial, cremation, or both by a funeral director registered with DHS. If the deceased has more than $750 dollars but less than $1,500 it will be subtracted from $1,500 which is the total amount of money that will be covered for the deceased's burial. | PA Dept of Human Services |
| RI | Burial benefits are awarded to those who are indigent residents of Rhode Island whose family cannot provide money to pay for their burial. | For the Department of Human Services to consider granting assistance to those persons who may be eligible, application for payment of funeral and burial expenses must be made on behalf of the deceased within thirty (30) days of the date of death. | The state of Rhode Island will pay up to $900 for burial expenses. A lump sum death benefit of $255 is payable upon the death of a deceased insured wage earner or self-employed person who may be eligible to receive monthly survivor-ship benefits, payable to the surviving spouse or child. | RI General Public Assistance |
| SC | South Carolina does not have any burial benefits at state and city level. | Only one known coroner's office, Greenville's County Coroner, will absorb the cost of disposition but only for a cremation. Social Security pays out a lump sum death benefit of $255 (if you qualify), and veteran’s and certain dependents are entitled to certain benefits. Families who claim their loved one can conduct a home burial in South Carolina and set up a family burial plot on your own land, which will help decrease costs of a disposition. | South Carolina 2-1-1 | |
| SD | South Dakota does not offer assistance, although under South Dakota state law, counties have a legal responsibility to provide assistance to deceased indigent residents. | Varies for each county. County assistance is meant to be a resource of last resort, available only after all other personal resources, governmental programs, insurance benefits, and family assistance have been exhausted. | Minnehaha County, Davison County, Pennington County, Codington County, Lincoln County and Brown County provide some level of general assistance and welfare, although limited. Minnehaha County: Cremation only. No memorial service: $1,000. Cremation with memorial service, and all others: $2,250. Children under 5": $750. Lincoln County: maximum of $2,500. Contact your local county's Welfare Office for more information and relevant paperwork/forms. | South Dakota Department of Health |
| TN | Tennessee does not offer burial assistance and most counties have ended their pauper burial services. Some funeral homes and very few counties still offer assistance. | Varies | Metro Social Services coordinates and funds the burial of deceased persons who did not leave sufficient resources to cover the cost of their burial expenses in Davidson County or who for those who died in Davidson County. Applications for burial/cremation assistance must be made by the family member closest in relation to the deceased. If not available, other family members, friends, or agency representatives may apply for burial assistance for the deceased. All applications for burial or cremation services must be made during the hours of operation: Contact (615) 862-6458. | Tennessee 2-1-1 |
| TX | Texas does not offer any state wide burial benefits and although some counties do, they're mainly geared towards deceased veterans. | Varies | The total cost of the funeral, cremation, and/or burial cannot exceed $2,500. Veterans, spouses, and dependents may be eligible for VA burial and memorial benefits including reimbursement of burial expenses, military funeral honors VA headstones and markers, presidential memorial certificates, burial flags, burial in VA National Cemeteries or other Veterans' cemeteries. Death benefits may also be available to replace a portion of family income that is lost when an employee dies because of a work-related injury or occupational illness. Social Security Income has a $255 payout for burial expenses based on amount paid in through earnings that can be applied to burial expenses as well. | Burial Expense Assistance |
| UT | Utah does not have burial assistance although some counties offer indigent burial programs. | Varies | Cremation services, only, are offered through contracted mortuaries for indigent individuals who have passed away in counties that provide assistance. | Utah 2-1-1 |
| VA | To be eligible you must either be on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and apply for assistance through your county or municipality. Payment is given to the relevant funeral professional. | Varies by county | Virginia grants burial benefits depend on the county you are in. Norfolk county will give $500. You can set aside up to $3,500 for a burial fund that will not count as income. | Virginia Common Help |
| VT | The state of Vermont provides burial assistance, distributed by county depts. Applications must be submitted in person at local county office. | If the deceased and spouse together have in total more than $1,100 then they are not eligible for burial benefits. | Vermont will give up to $1,100 in burial funds, paid directly to the vendor. | VT Agency of Human Services |
| WA | County welfare departments, as agents for the county commissioners, are responsible for authorizing and approving payment claims, not the state of Washington. | Varies | County assistance is very limited. The King County Veterans Program provides burial assistance to veterans, family members, or friends of veterans who have or will incur costs related to the burial or cremation of any deceased indigent veteran or the family member of any veteran who lacks the resources to cover burial expenses. The total amount of assistance may not exceed $500. Proper documentation is required and certain rules apply. Please contact the Veterans' Program to learn more about eligibility for burial assistance. Other county residents should consult their local municipalities in regards to assistance. | WA 2-1-1 Connect |
| WI | The Wisconsin Funeral and Cemetery Aids Program (WFCAP) provides assistance to those in need in lieu of the state. | You must complete an "EBD MADA" application. | The Wisconsin Funeral and Cemetery Aids Program (WFCAP) may reimburse service providers for up to $1,500 of unmet funeral/burial expenses and up to $1,000 of unmet cemetery/crematory expenses for certain decedents that were enrolled in public assistance and welfare programs. The program usually reimburses up to $1,500 for unmet funeral and burial expenses where these total expenses do not exceed $4,500 and, up to $1,000 for unmet cemetery expenses where these total expenses do not exceed $3,500. | Wisconsin Funeral and Cemetery Aids Program Reimbursement Request |
| WV | West Virginia provides residents with an Indigent Burial Program, which seeks to provide a decent burial for persons who die and have no resources to pay for the interment costs at the time of death. | The deceased must have been a resident of West Virginia at the time of death in order to be eligible for a burial payment, or be a non-resident of West Virginia who passed while traveling or visiting in the state and has no family, friends, or institution in the state of his residence that will assume responsibility for the funeral arrangements or otherwise claim the body. | The maximum allowable payment for burials may not exceed $2,450. The person who has made application for burial expenses may request that the deceased be cremated. Green burials are also allowed under the burial program policy. Payment for burial expenses cannot be made unless the application form, DFA-BU-1, has been completed and the applicant found eligible for payment and the date of interment or cremation did not occur more than 30 days prior to the date of application. The application form must be signed in blue ink. | WV Dept of Health and Human Resources |
| WY | The Wyoming Department of Family Services provides and administers programs for public assistance and social services, including indigent and welfare burial programs, through a county/city level. | Failure to diligently pursue information regarding monetary assets will result in refusal of payment by the County. | The total cost to the County of non-veteran/veteran indigent burials or cremations shall not exceed $1,800. Contact local municipality for further information and regulations. | Wyoming Department of Family Services |
