What Happens When You Can't Afford a Funeral or Burial

My sis and I buried three members of our family this past year which took a huge toll on our finances. Funerals and burial arrangements are very expensive, and it doesn't take much effort at all to run up a massive bill that will take years to pay off. For low income families, this may be more money than you can manage. So what does happens if you can't afford a funeral? You can ask the County Indigent Services for some help.

County Indigent Services (sometimes called County Emergency Services or County Welfare) is a county government agency which can provide limited emergency financial assistance to qualifying county residents. The financial help provided from Indigent Services is only available when all other resources have been exhausted.

Defining indigent

Most of us assume that indigent means "homeless." While many homeless are indigent, indigent can also refer to families who are struggling to meet basic needs such as food, heat, clean drinking water, clothing and shelter. if you are finding it difficult to meet these bare essentials, then you would be considered an indigent and may qualify for help in burying your loved one.

How it works

1. If you can not afford the burial or cremation costs of your loved one, don't hesitate to ask the funeral home for County Coroner's office for help with costs. The funeral home or coroner's office will start the process by filling out an application for cremation. The application however must be submitted before cremation or burial services have occurred. Once a loved one has been buried, the surviving family can NOT ask the county for reimbursement. With the application, the funeral home will also include a copy of a signed death certificate. The death certificate will come from the physician or coroner's office, and is always handled by the funeral home.

2. The surviving family is then asked to fill out an application for emergency help. Some funeral homes carry these applications in their offices, while others may send you to the Indigent Services Office in your county. Expect a lengthy application; In our county, the application is about eight pages long and asks for some pretty detailed financial information.

3. Once the application is received by the County Indigent Service, an agent will contact you for an interview to determine eligibility. Items you will need for the interview include proof of identity, a social security card, copies of your lease agreement, pay stubs and bank statements from the past 3 months, and proof of monthly expenses.

4. Within a day or so of the interview, you will be notified whether or not you have qualified for non-medical assistance.

What options do families have for funeral and burials?

Unfortunately, indigent families don't have a lot of options when it comes to disposing of their loved ones remains. County assistance is limited to transportation of the remains to a local funeral home who will provide a cremation in a cardboard box. The remains are then returned to the family for scattering or can be buried or scattered in a special section of a cemetery which is owned by the county for indigent deceased.

As far as a memorial service, this isn't part of the package. Your minister may be able to perform a brief graveside service at no cost to the family, or you can hold a private memorial service at home.