Does Centrelink Give You Money for a Funeral? What Families Can Claim in Queensland

It’s one of the first questions families ask us, usually quietly and a little embarrassed: does Centrelink give you money for a funeral? There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. A funeral is a big, unplanned cost, and it lands at the worst possible time.

The short answer: Centrelink (Services Australia) does not pay a general funeral grant. But there are several payments that can help, depending on who died and what they were receiving, and there are other ways a funeral is commonly paid for. This guide walks through each one in plain English.

If your partner died and you were both on a pension or payment

This is the most common form of help. If you and your partner were both getting an income support payment for at least the previous 12 months, or a pension, you may be eligible for a bereavement payment.

• It covers a 14-week “bereavement period” starting on the day your partner died.
• The amount is usually the difference between what you were both receiving as a couple and your new single rate, for that period.
• Part of it can be paid as a lump sum, which many families put towards the funeral.

If your partner was registered for the Pension Bonus Scheme and died before their Age Pension and Pension Bonus were approved, you may also be able to claim a Pension Bonus Bereavement Payment. You have up to 26 weeks after the death to claim it.

If you were caring for the person who died

If you received Carer Allowance for the person, you may get a bereavement payment of up to 14 weeks, paid as a lump sum. If you received Carer Payment, it may continue for up to 14 weeks after their death, and you may also be eligible for a lump sum.

If the person who died was single

This is where families are often caught out. When a single person on an allowance such as JobSeeker dies, payments stop and there is no extra bereavement assistance. For a single pensioner, the regular payment covering the fortnight they died is paid, and then payments stop.

It is still worth asking Centrelink to check whether any money is owed to the estate. The executor or administrator will need to show proof of their role.

Urgent payments to help you get to a funeral

If you’re on an eligible Centrelink payment and in severe financial hardship, you may be able to get an urgent payment to help you attend the funeral of an immediate family member. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families this can include extended family and Sorry Business.

It’s an advance of your own payment, not extra money. It is taken back from your next fortnightly payment, so think carefully about whether you can manage on less that fortnight.

The other ways a funeral is usually paid for

The person’s own bank account

Most Australian banks will pay a funeral director’s account directly from the deceased person’s account, even before probate or letters of administration, once they see the funeral invoice and proof of death. Ask the bank’s deceased estates team how they handle it.

Superannuation and insurance

Many super funds include life cover, and the death benefit is paid to the person’s beneficiaries or estate. Some funds will pay funeral costs from it, so ask. Check any funeral insurance or life insurance policies too. It is worth a phone call to each fund before you assume there is nothing there.

Pre-paid funerals and funeral bonds

If the person planned ahead with a pre-paid funeral or funeral bond, those funds go towards the funeral. Look through their paperwork, or ask us and we can help you check.

Veterans

If the person was a veteran, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs may contribute to funeral costs. Contact DVA to check eligibility before the funeral if you can.

Queensland’s Funeral Assistance Scheme

If someone dies in Queensland with no next of kin willing or able to pay for a funeral, the Queensland Government’s Funeral Assistance Scheme, run through the Coroners Court of Queensland, may provide a basic, dignified funeral. Some things to know:

• Applications are declined if there are enough funds in the person’s estate, or if they had superannuation, life insurance, a funeral plan or a signed funeral contract.
• Individuals lodge the application at their nearest Magistrates Court.
• It can take up to 60 business days to decide.
• You can’t choose the funeral director or the location, and the person will be cremated unless burial is requested on the form.
• The cost can be recovered from the estate, or from a spouse or parent who applied.

How to keep the cost down

A funeral doesn’t have to cost what people fear. Our Simple Farewell is $2,640 including GST. It includes transfer into our care, all documentation and permits, water cremation, the official death certificate and the return of ashes in an urn. Families can still hold their own gathering afterwards, at home, at the beach or anywhere that suits.

See every package on our funeral pricing page, read about our no funeral service option, or learn how water cremation works.

Common questions about Centrelink and funeral costs

Does Centrelink pay for funerals?

No. Centrelink doesn’t pay a general funeral grant. A surviving partner may get a bereavement payment, carers may get a bereavement payment, and people in hardship may get an urgent advance of their own payment.

How much is the Centrelink bereavement payment?

There is no set amount. It is usually the difference between the couple rate you were both receiving and your new single rate, over a 14-week bereavement period.

Can I get an advance from Centrelink to pay for a funeral?

If you’re in severe financial hardship and on an eligible payment, you may get an urgent payment to help you attend a family member’s funeral. It is taken back from your next fortnightly payment.

What happens if no one can pay for a funeral in Queensland?

The Queensland Government’s Funeral Assistance Scheme, run through the Coroners Court of Queensland, may provide a basic funeral when there is no next of kin willing or able to pay and no funds in the estate.

Can the funeral be paid from the person’s bank account?

Usually, yes. Most banks will pay the funeral director’s invoice directly from the deceased person’s account once they have the invoice and proof of death.

Talk to a local funeral director

Payments and eligibility rules change, so always confirm the details with Services Australia. If you’re worried about cost, call us on (07) 4881 0491, any hour. We’ll tell you plainly what things cost and help you work out what you can claim. You can also read what to do when someone dies or send us a message.

Information checked October 2026 against Services Australia and the Coroners Court of Queensland. It is general information, not financial advice.