Under the provisions of the Public Health (Control of Diseases) Act 1984, South Kesteven District Council are responsible for burying or cremating anybody who dies within their area if no other arrangements are being made, this can be because no relatives of the deceased can be found or because the deceased’s relatives are unable or unwilling to arrange a funeral. People who typically require this type of action are those who die intestate (not having made a Will) and with no next of kin. We are then entitled to recover the funeral costs from the estate of the deceased.
South Kesteven District Council will not part-fund or contribute to the cost of a funeral which has already been organised. It will not become involved if any funeral arrangements have already been made or the funeral has already taken place.
If the person died outside of the council boundary, the funeral arrangements will be the responsibility of the local authority where they died, even if they lived within South Kesteven District Council. If the deceased died in hospital or ambulance on the way to hospital the hospital authorities would take responsibility.
In cases where there are assets that exceed the cost of the funeral, and where there are no other bills outstanding, any money left will go to the Estates Group within the Bona Vacantia (small receipts) Division of the Treasury Solicitor, in accordance with the rules set down by the Secretary of State. For more information and to view the Treasury Solicitor’s Estates register, please see the Gov.uk page on claiming or referring an unclaimed estate
Getting Help with Funeral Expenses
If you are the person arranging a funeral and are on a low income, a funeral payment may be claimed from the Department for Work and Pensions
For more information call the DWP Bereavement Service on:
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Phone: 0845 606 0265
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Phone: 0845 606 0275 (Welsh)
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Textphone: 0845 606 0285
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textphone: 0845 606 0295 (Welsh)
For further information about Funeral Payments, Bereavement Payments and Bereavement Allowances, please visit Benefits and financial support when someone dies on GOV.UK
To View our latest list of public health funerals see the document below