Is funeral financial assistance available?
There are a number of sources for funds to be used for funeral expenses.
The Department of Veterans Affairs has benefits that include burial in a VA National Cemetery for veterans and qualifying spouses. You should contact the VA to see if your mother would qualify for these benefits.
Most states and local governments also have funds available for burial expenses for financially needy individuals. Check with your local city or town clerk's office for guidance as to what programs may be available to your mother.
Finally, Social Security provides small amounts of assistance for qualifying individuals. You should contact the local Social Security Administration office for further information.
Go to www.funerals.org it is the website for the Funeral Consumer's Alliance. They are very adept at offering afordable but meaningful solutions.
There's a great guide on finding help paying for funerals, burials and cremation called A Guide to Burial Assistance and Funeral Planning for New Yorkers in Need.
Check it out here:
http://www.volsprobono.org/documents/494651VOLSBurialGuideApril2011.pdf
It's current as of April 2011. Check www.volsprobono.org for future updates.
Sorry folks, most communities, counties or states funds, or free funeral money is NOT there! If a deceased has little or no money, no assets, indigent and no family...MAYBE, but it usually means direct cremation, no ceremony, no obituary, only proper disposition of ones body. YOU may only pay for services you ask for from a licensed funeral director, so ASK your personal funeral home in your community and ASK them. Our funeral home, no money, no services, but I will always HELP people and work with probate court if necessary as to the direction for our unfortunate indigents. Veterans - your safe, VA can really help you, SSA - sorry-upto 255 for surviving spouse only.
J. Evans tells the truth, at least as far as how I have experienced this. We are burying a parent tomorrow. We do not believe in cremation, which is thrust upon the poor and indigent as though they should have no choice. We asked the local Catholic Church for help, and they did not even give us acknowledgement or answer. A priest in another town again contacted them for us, and they still did not contact us. We got the simplest burial with no stone, and it will cost us $4,400 - from a household supported by one food service job. Do not expect compassion from the society we live in. I am disgusted and angry, and you can believe that I will vote and behave according to what I have learned from this unfortunate situation. Thankfully, though, we have still saved our loved one from what we consider a horrid fate and honored him to the extent that we are able.
I do know that there is an organization called the Hebrew Free Burial Assoc. who will provide a dignified and traditional Jewish Funeral for a Jewish person regardless of their financial means. I believe they operate in the New York Metropolitan area. For all others I would suggest you try contacting not just your particular local house of worship, but the administrative offices of the particular clergy you are affiliated with (eg the Archdiosces of New York - not sure I spelled that correctly, but you get the idea; not sure who governing bodies are for other religions, but if you dig around on the web I'm sure you'll find them). As someone who has lost both parents I can tell you it is never too early to check it out.
With buget cuts and lack of funds most cities and towns do not have funds to bury love ones. My mother had us all in burial insurance before she died . I took it upon myself to put myself, son , brother and sister in a insurance plan. I know I most likely wont/wouldn't have the funds if/when either one passes. Based on the plans I pay for, my family can be cremated with funds left for some type of simple memorial service.
