Often times when a close loved one passes away trying to figure out ways to get help with funeral expenses can be tough. When the person who has passed came unexpectedly, there may not have been any insurance or savings to help cover the costs. Sure you can take up a collection within your circle of family and friends, but there are even more ways to get help with the funeral costs that you may not have thought of.
In this article we’ll cover the 5 best ways to get help with funeral expenses using methods that everyone can take advantage of…
1. Save Money by Buying Ahead of Time
The best method to covering the costs of a funeral is to be prepared. If you have a close family and know that you would like for all of your family to be buried at a particular cemetery, you can purchase grave plots or lots ahead of time. By paying for your family’s plot ahead of time you can negotiate a better deal and don’t have to worry about making those types of decisions and transactions at a later, more stressful time. Paying ahead is similar to investing in that it saves you money in the long run as cemetery cost can increase just like it does in other industries.
2. Life Insurance With Death Benefits
There are two types of insurance that cover the cost of funeral expenses. Life Insurance with Death Benefits and Funeral Insurance. If you are able to afford buying either one of these insurance for your family, you will never have to worry about coming out pocket for such expenses unexpectedly. Funerals can be very expensive. The small cost of a monthly insurance plan can save you lots of money if you can add it to your monthly budget.
3. Crowdfunding
If you are the member of a church or religious organization, you can take up a collection or create a means of fundraising with the help of your friends. Doing a car wash, selling meals, or asking the head of your church to sponsor a collection are popular methods of raising money quickly. Another method that is also very popular is crowdfunding. Using sites like…
Giveforward.com
Gofundme.com
YouCaring.com
Fundly.com
Gives you a platform to ask for donations from people all over the world using the Internet. Friends, family, colleagues and other people who may not be located close to you are able to add donations to your account. If the circumstances of the person’s death were tragic in nature, the public at large will donate to the funeral once they are made aware. It is not uncommon for people to get more than they expected or needed through crowdfunding so don’t discount this method.
4. Federal & Local Government Funding
There are 5 government based options you can look into to get funding for funeral costs. They are: Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security Administration, Indigent Burial Programs and The Office of Veteran Affairs (VA).
To get help from Medicare and Medicaid, you simply have to call them. If the deceased person was on either one of those programs, they may qualify for money to go towards funeral and cemetery costs. The same goes for Social Security and the VA, you will have to call them to find out if your loved one qualifies for death benefits. Veterans in particular are normally covered in they had an honorable discharge. Special funeral arrangements can also be made through the VA if your loved one was a military veteran.
Indigent Burial Programs are for people who would have been considered as living below the poverty line. According to government standards, a single person under 65 with an annual income of $11,770 or less. If they were part of a family group of four, including two children, and made less than $24,250, they would qualify for an Indigent Burial Program. To get more information regarding this type of program, contact your County Office Clerk as they will be able to connect you to the right department. The program may run through the state and not the county, but starting at the county level is the best place to start.
5. Low Cost Alternatives
As mentioned above, the cost of a funeral can be very expensive. If you are limited in money and funding, you can look to save a lot of money by doing more of the tasks yourself. For instance, instead of using the funeral homes facilities for the service and viewing, you can choose to use your church or home for the service. Cremation is also another alternative. Cremations are much cheaper than burials and they can be done quickly through a direct cremation company as opposed a funeral home. To find direct cremation company’s simply do a search online. Different states have different requirements regarding how deaths are handled so do some research online to find out the details. Evergreen Cemetery offers free chapel services for the first 30 minutes if the person is being buried or cremated at our cemetery. Even if you choose to go the traditional route of using a funeral home and doing a burial, it’s always a good idea to get pricing information from a few places before making a final decision.
Conclusion
Whenever there is a death in the family it is stressful. No one looks forward to such occasions so having a plan and knowledge about what to do is beneficial. If you are able to plan ahead and do things like purchase insurance and burial plots, it is a wise decision. If you are not able to plan ahead and you have to take care of arrangements for your loved one, be sure to contact the appropriate departments and reach out to others for help. Using the Internet for funding and research can work to your advantage so be sure to keep an open mind and be optimistic.
Thank for reading our article regarding the 5 best ways to get help with funeral expenses. We hope that it is of benefit to you and as always we welcome you contacting us or calling us (908) 352-7940 if you have any questions or need help related to cemetery services.