Who pays the funeral benefit?

The funeral benefit is paid by the local government under the conditions and in accordance with the procedure it has established. To apply for a funeral benefit, you must visit the rural municipality or town that was the deceased’s last place of residence. See also the contact details of local governments.

Funeral benefits in local governments.

If the deceased person had no registered place of residence, some municipalities exceptionally also pay the funeral benefit to a person organising the funeral, who, according to the population register, is a resident of a municipality and applies for the benefit to cover the funeral expenses for a person who had no regsitered place of residence and for whom no funeral benefit has been received from another municipality.

Submitting an application for a funeral benefit

The person who pays for the funeral expenses must submit an application to the local government and contact them for the application form, which is usually available on the local government’s website. In some local governments, you can apply for the benefit online.

There is usually a time limit for applying for a benefit from the local government after registration of the death in the population register, for example, three (3) months or six (6) months, depending on the local government’s established procedures. See also the contact details of local governments.

Support for a low-income individuals

If the person organising the funeral is a low-income individual, they can apply to the social department of the local government for a grant to cover the funeral expenses and find out whether and under what conditions the local government can provide material assistance to the individual.

When a family member passes away, the state supports their dependants by paying a survivor’s pension. Information on eligibility and how to apply is available on the home page of the Social Insurance Board.

Employers are not obliged to provide financial support for funeral and related arrangements, but many companies offer assistance to their employees facing a difficult time of grief. Communication with the employer is, therefore, key to finding appropriate solutions and support on such period.

Contact your employer early: When you learn of the death of a loved one, try to contact your employer as soon as possible. This allows you to discuss with your employer how to proceed, to plan and agree on how work arrangements can be temporarily adjusted, if necessary.

Explain the situation: Tell your employer about the situation honestly and clearly. Mention the deceased and their relationship with you, and the funeral plans.

Request a short holiday: Ask to take a short holiday, so that you can focus on grieving and arranging the funeral. If more time is needed, you should discuss the possibility of extra leave.

Ask about support: If you would like to get any support from your employer for the funeral or related arrangements (e.g. extra days of leave, extra benefits), ask for it. Explain the support that you need and why it is important. Employers are not obligated to pay such benefit to employees. However, there are companies that do offer funeral benefit, but in many cases, employees are unaware that such a benefit exists.

Documents and evidence: It is reasonable to assume that the employer may want to see official documents related to the death and burial of a loved one (death certificate, funeral receipts, etc.). It is important to be prepared to provide these documents, if necessary.

Discuss the timeline: Talk to your employer about when you could return to work and whether any temporary changes to your work arrangements are needed.

Share information with your employer: Stay in touch with your employer to keep them informed about the funeral and your plans to return to work.

If the deceased person has funds in their bank account, they can be used to pay for funeral expenses even before the succession process is over. There is no obligation for banks to withdraw funds from the deceased’s bank account to reimburse funeral expenses. Rather, it is a way banks help people manage their situation. It must also be remembered that the deceased’s heirs will later have the right to submit a claim against the recipient of the payment if the money for funeral expenses paid out by the bank has not been used for the intended purpose.

Each bank has its own procedures and conditions for issuing money for funerals, and it is important to find out how long after the death of the person you can apply for the money, what is the maximum amount that can be paid out, and whether the money will be paid out just once or several times, what documents should be submitted to the bank and who can actually submit such an application to the bank.

Some banks have the relevant terms and conditions posted on their website (for example, in the FAQ section), while others may have them in their general terms and conditions. If you are unable to find the information you need on the bank’s website, call the bank's helpline.