How to Pay for Burials Without Insurance
Paying for burials without insurance can add to the extreme emotional burden faced by many who have lost loved ones. It is very challenging to put the remnants of a cherished friend, co-worker or family member to rest for the last time, but there is hope for those who might not be able to afford the high costs of paying for a burial without insurance.
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Instructions
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Find out if the funeral home in which you are planning to hold the burial offers the option of paying for the burial in small monthly payment amounts. Spreading your payments over a number of months might help to ease the impact of paying for the total cost of the service all at one time. If this opportunity is not available, you can contact the lending institutions in your area to try to obtain a loan. Having the money from the loan proceeds at your disposal can help to pay the burial fees. Make sure you bring the death certificate when you apply for the loan, and ask the lending institution if they offer less stringent lending requirements to those who need to bury someone.
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Contact the Social Security Administration, or SSA as they are more commonly known. Go to the SSA website to determine if you qualify for the $255 payment that is offered to the surviving spouse of the person who has died. Children of the deceased who are considered minors and were getting government benefits during the lifetime of the deceased individual might also be eligible for the death benefit. Call the toll-free number that is listed on the SSA website to find out if you meet all of the qualifications. Keep in mind that this award will not cover the cost of the entire burial, but it should help you to contribute toward the event.
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Take advantage of any military benefits for which you might qualify. If the deceased person risked their life as a member of the American military, the surviving family members might be able to pay some of the burial expenses using money set aside by the government for veterans. Go to the online home of the Veterans Administration (see References) and print a copy of Form 21-530 to apply for this specific benefit. Before you contact the Veterans Administration, have all of the needed military documents, including the DD 214 (a military document which shows that one has been discharged or released from active military service), certificate of death and a record of the total burial costs. Expect to be paid back for any fees that were spent on the actual burial.
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References
- Photo Credit family burial plot . image by Tom Oliveira from Fotolia.com
