What happens if NOK won’t pay for funeral?

[Downtherefordancing]

Does anyone know?
In England … what happens if someone dies and the authorities contact the next of kin and they don’t want to know?

There must be a procedure. Do the council just go ahead and cremate or bury? Or is the body held somewhere?

We have a situation a bit like this and we aren’t close by and we don’t know what happens next. And authorities won’t speak to us because we aren’t NOK.

It is paid put of any estate.

Whose money won't the Nok use? Their own or from the estate?

If there’s an estate it’ll be paid for from that, is there a house to sell etc? Who is making funeral plans if the NOK won’t engage?

No estate. Person was living in a council flat with next to nothing of any value.

Who is the executor of the will ? I imagine it would be up to them to arrange payment. It is paid out of the estate. If no estate then it would be paid for by the local authority. If all close relatives are on means tested benefits they can apply for a dwp funeral grant but they will check if there are other close family members who can pay not just next of kin.

Possibly a Public Health Funeral, if no one can pay. It is only a last resort, I believe.

Can next of kin pay but just doesn't want to or they cannot pay because they don't have the money?

"Paupers funeral" or as they now call it, a public health funeral or a public funeral.

www.southhams.gov.uk/article/3521/Public-Funerals

The council can organise it if they need to and claim the costs from any estate.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-health-funerals-good-practice-guidance/public-health-funerals-good-practice-guidance

This give information on eligibility of a Local Authority funeral.

Irrelevant. If there’s no estate and no one is willing to pick up the tab then it’s a public health funeral.

If there is no estate the next of kin can't be forced to pay. Chances are they haven't got a couple of grand kicking about anyway.
The local authority will pay for a cremation

Thanks everyone. We are still investigating what is going on. We only just found out he died a couple of months ago but can find no record of a cremation or burial so wondered if it just hadn’t happened yet.

Public health funeral. It's the responsibility of the local authority.

If there turned out to be money in the estate I think they can then recover the costs from the estate

Has the death even been registered?

I dont think there is any agreed legal definition in this country for a next of kin

NOK have no obligation to pay for anything. If it's in a hospital, it's their responsibility to dispose of the body unless someone else offers to. The costs can be recovered from the deceased person's estate, if necessary.

Yes. We spoke to coroners office who confirmed but wouldn’t give any other details

Sort of on the back of this......a question I was wondering about very recently due to family events.
People saying that the costs come from the estate...how?
If I cannot afford a funeral for a parent (and I cant) but they have a significant estate, do funeral directors accept that they will be paid from the estate or do you have to take a loan and get it back later or what? It is a genuine worry for me.

I mean do you literally go to the FD and say "I cant pay for this but you'll get paid in a year when probate has been granted"?!

The local authority I used to deal with, would have a direct cremation. This meant they used there crematorium & there wasn’t a “funeral” just the cremation part. No mourners etc.

if a relative or friend had started organising a funeral the local authority wouldn’t then get involved.

I work as a coroner's officer and we refer to the local council. If there's no estate and no family able/willing to pay for the funeral, they will take over. I'm not sure if it will work differently in other LAs but ours will arrange a cremation with a small committal ceremony. They will then effectively become a sort of executor - so will take over the persons bank account and look into any possible assets to recoup money towards the funeral. I know hospitals and hospices also refer to the council.

@PyongyangKipperbang in many cases the bank will agree to release funds to pay for a funeral before Probate has been granted.

You can take the funeral directors invoice to the deceased person’s bank and, if there are funds available, the bank can raise a cheque (or arrange bank transfer direct to the funereal directors) for the cost of the funeral. They may not immediately release funds to cover flowers or items such as refreshments but should cover actual funeral costs (coffin, cars, FD fees, burial plot/crematorium costs) within 30 days of invoice being presented. Other costs may be recoverable from the estate once probate is granted

In Scotland the funeral will be paid out of any estate the person left. If no estate left then the council pays for a very dignified cremation and a minister attends too from what I can remember.