Deceased person with a surviving partner or children

A Funeral Grant can be paid towards the reasonable funeral expenses of a deceased person with a surviving partner if:

• the deceased person was ordinarily resident in New Zealand on the date of death and
• the surviving partner has income below the appropriate income limit and
• the reasonable funeral expenses cannot be met by the total assessable assets, meaning:
  • the deceased person's assessable estate before the payment of any debts and
  • the assets of the surviving partner in excess of the asset exemption

A Funeral Grant cannot be paid if the reasonable funeral expenses can be met by the total of the deceased person's assessable estate and the partners assets.

If the deceased person does not have a surviving partner, but they have a surviving child or children, a Funeral Grant can be paid towards their reasonable funeral expenses if:

• the deceased person was ordinarily resident in New Zealand on the date of death and
• the reasonable funeral expenses cannot be met by the deceased person's assessable estate before the payment of any debts

A Funeral Grant cannot be paid if the reasonable funeral expenses can be met by the deceased person's assessable estate.