Funeral expenses
Are you faced with funeral expenses due to the death of a loved one and don't know how to pay for them?
-
Basic information
Section 74 of the Social Code Book XII regulates the assumption of the necessary costs of a funeral for persons liable for the funeral if they cannot be expected to bear the costs.
Necessary costs are the costs that are reasonable under social welfare law. These include, for example
- an examination of the deceased and the issue of the death certificate
- Fees for post-mortem examination
- Costs for the services of the morticians (simple, dignified burial in the ground or cremation) as a lump sum
- Fees and charges for the crematorium
- Cemetery fees to a reasonable extent
The application for assumption of the funeral costs can also be made if the funeral has already taken place and/or the costs of the funeral have already been paid.
The social welfare agency that last granted social assistance (benefits under SGB XII) for the deceased person is responsible.
If the deceased person did not receive social assistance, the following applies:
- he/she lived in Bremen and died in Bremen: the Social Services department in whose area the deceased last lived is responsible.
- he/she lived outside Bremen: the Social Welfare Department in whose area the place of death is located is responsible.
Requirements
- The estate or the funeral provision of the deceased does not cover the costs
- The person making the application is liable to pay the funeral costs
The person obliged to pay for the funeral is in need of assistance and cannot cover the costs of the funeral from his or her own income and assets
-
Procedure
The application can be made in writing, by telephone or in person without observing any form. The required application documents must then be submitted in full and in a timely manner.
An application form is provided to apply for the assumption of funeral costs. It is available in the social centers
-
Deadlines & processing time
What deadlines must be paid attention to?
The application is not bound to a rigid deadline, but should be in temporal connection with the event.
How long does it take to process
Processing is dependent on the completeness of the application documents.
-
More Information
Frequently asked Questions
-
What does funeral expense obligation mean?
The following are obliged to bear the costs in turn
- Contractually obligated parties (e.g. funeral provision agreement)
- according to the German Civil Code, the heirs
- in the event of the death of a child's mother as a result of pregnancy or childbirth, the child's father
- persons obliged to pay maintenance
- Persons obligated to make funeral arrangements under public law (Section 16 of the Law on Mortuary Services)
Anyone who arranges the funeral or bears the costs without a legal obligation is not entitled to have the costs covered (e.g. friends, neighbors, former caregivers)
This page has been automatically translated by DeepL. We cannot guarantee that the translation is correct.
The official information in German is complete and correct. 25.08.2025