Bereavement

Funeral expenses

We may be able to help you pay for some funeral expenses if the person who had died has little or no money to pay for this.

You don't have to be on a benefit to qualify for a Funeral Grant and you don't have to pay the money back.

What you can get

We may be able to pay a Funeral Grant of up to $2,559.20 if the estate of the person who has died can't pay. This money can be used for costs such as:

• professional services for preparing the body for cremation or burial (eg embalming)
• the cost of a casket
• newspaper death notice costs
• hearse fees
• compulsory fees for buying a burial plot
• cremation fees.

Travel to a funeral or tangi

We may be able to help you if you can't afford to travel to a funeral or tangi.

You don't have to be on a benefit to qualify for help and you may have to pay the money back depending on your situation.

How much you get depends on your situation.

You may be able to get help with your travel costs if someone has died and you are either their:

• Partner (if you were living together at the time of their death)
• child (including step-children, foster children and whāngai)
• grandchild or mokopuna
• sibling (including half-siblings and step-siblings)
• parent (including step-parents and foster parents)
• grandparent.

If you're on a benefit

If you're not on a benefit