Funeral - municipal

The council does not provide a funeral service. However, under the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 the council is under a statutory duty to make arrangements under legislation (formally the National Assistance Act 1948) for the funeral or cremation of the body of any person who has died or found dead in the borough where it is established after investigation that there is no possibility of an alternative course of action.

Further information

If the next of kin is in receipt of one of the following, then they may be entitled to a funeral payment from the Social Fund:

• Income Support
• Job Seekers Allowance (income based)
• Housing Benefit
• Council Tax Benefit
• Disabled Persons Tax Credit Working Families Tax Credit

You can find more information about funeral payments on the GOV.UK website.