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When There Is No Money for a Funeral

Sometimes someone dies and the people around them simply don’t have the money for a funeral. It’s even harder when the person trying to help isn’t family at all. A friend, a neighbour, a workmate… someone who knows very little about the person’s private affairs. They might not have access to any bank accounts, or know whether there was super, insurance or a will. They might not even know who the family are.

That doesn’t mean there’s nothing they can do.

In Queensland there’s a Funeral Assistance Scheme that may be able to arrange a basic burial or cremation, where the person died in Queensland and there’s no known next of kin willing or able to pay for a funeral.

You don’t need to know everything

This is the bit most people get stuck on, so I’ll say it up front.

If you’re the one who has stepped forward because nobody else is around, you can still apply, even if you’re not the spouse or a parent. And if you’re not, it’s the information you can give about the person who died that gets assessed. Your own finances aren’t collected or looked at.

You’re not expected to fill in the gaps either. If you don’t know whether they had a bank account, super, insurance or family, you say you don’t know. That’s it.

Tell the Court what you know. Don’t guess what you don’t.

Before you agree to pay for anything

This is the really important part. Find out whether you can apply before you sign up for a funeral.

The application form says an individual application will be automatically declined if a contract has already been signed with a funeral company. The statutory declaration that goes with it also asks you to declare that you haven’t arranged a funeral.

So if there’s any chance the scheme applies, make the application first. Don’t sign a funeral contract just because someone has died and you’re the only one there to help… and yes, that goes for us too. If you call us in this situation, we’ll tell you the same thing.

What if I know almost nothing about them?

Let’s say someone dies, the police have made enquiries, and they can’t find anyone who can or will take responsibility. A friend or neighbour is all that’s left. They know the person’s name and where they died, but they’ve no idea which bank they used, whether they had super, insurance, property or a will, or who their relatives are.

That person can still apply.

The whole point of the application is so that the circumstances can be assessed. You don’t have to turn yourself into a private investigator before you’re allowed to ask for help.

What about their bank account?

This question makes a lot of people think the form is impossible. The financial section asks about bank accounts held solely in the person’s name, but there’s also an option to say “Deceased has no known bank accounts.”

There’s a big difference between ‘they had no bank account’ and ‘I don’t know of a bank account’. Only say what you actually know.

And please don’t try to get into their account to fill in the form. The form itself warns that unauthorised withdrawals from a deceased person’s account can affect the application.

What information should I give?

As much as you reasonably can. Things like their full name, date of birth, date and place of death, where they are now, their address and occupation. Whether they had a will (and the executor’s details if you know them), whether they were on government benefits, and any property, super, insurance, bank accounts or relatives you know of. You’ll also need to explain why no funeral arrangements have been made.

Anything you don’t know, you put down as unknown. What matters is that what you do write is true.

Finding the form hard going?

You wouldn’t be the first. It’s long, and some of it isn’t written for everyday people.

You don’t have to work it out on your own. The form itself says you can contact your nearest Magistrates Court for general help, or ask about a short face-to-face information session.

A friend can sit with you too. They can explain what the questions mean, write down your answers, help sort out documents and work out what’s known and what isn’t, and even come with you to the court. Just remember that the application and the statutory declaration are yours, so don’t sign anything you don’t understand.

What if they need more information?

Then they’ll ask. If you genuinely can’t find something out, explain that to the Magistrates Court rather than guessing. The authorities assessing the application can work out what else they need.

The form also allows for funeral costs to be recovered from the person’s estate if assets turn up later. So you don’t have to solve every question about their estate before you apply.

What happens next?

The application goes in through a Magistrates Court. According to the form, most complete and correct applications are processed by the Coroners Court of Queensland in roughly 2 to 10 business days, although that can vary.

If it’s approved, the government-contracted undertaker is given the details and will contact you to make arrangements. You don’t get to choose the funeral director or undertaker under the scheme.

What does it cover?

It’s a basic funeral, and it’s worth being clear about that. The form says it includes:

You can’t choose where the funeral happens or who does it, and the undertaker can’t offer or charge for upgrades under the scheme. If it’s a cremation, you’ll need to arrange collecting the ashes yourself.

One last thing

Often the person who steps forward isn’t family. It’s a neighbour, a mate, someone from work or the local community… sometimes just the one person who cared enough to make sure something happened. They shouldn’t have to know everything about someone’s life to take that first step.

So tell the Court what you know, be honest about what you don’t, and ask for help when it gets hard. That’s often enough to get things moving.

If you’re not sure where to start, shoot us a message. We can’t provide a funeral under the scheme, but we’re always happy to help you make sense of it.

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