Conditional payment of Funeral Grant

MSD may consider making a conditional payment of Funeral Grant where there is a request made on the grounds that the cash in the estate or the parental assets are not immediately available, or the income details of surviving partner or parents has not been finally determined and hardship will result if a payment is not made.

When a conditional payment is approved, MSD will obtain an authority from the person the payment is paid to, that they agree to repay all or part of it if it is later confirmed there was no eligibility for all or part of the payment.

The authority must be scanned and saved into the deceased person's record. A copy of the authority will be sent to the administrator of the estate or to the parents of a deceased child, advising that the estate is not to be distributed until MSD has been contacted.

Regular contact must be made with the administrator of the estate or the parents to determine the progress of the estate administration.

If on finalisation of the estate it is found that there was no eligibility for all or part of the conditional Funeral Grant payment, MSD will establish a debt and start recovery action.