In the event of a death, the relatives of the deceased person usually have to take care of the funeral and cover the costs for the time being if the estate or other funds, such as from a death benefit insurance policy, are not sufficient or not sufficient in full to cover the funeral costs.
Who is obliged to cover the funeral costs is regulated by law. These may be the following persons:
- contractually obligated persons
- heirs
- persons liable to pay maintenance
- Persons obliged to pay for the funeral under the public funeral law of the federal states
If you are obliged to pay the costs of a funeral but are not in a financial position to do so, you can apply to the relevant social welfare office to have the costs covered. The social welfare office will then check to what extent you can reasonably be expected to bear the costs.
The social welfare office will cover the costs of a simple, appropriate and dignified funeral. This includes the reasonable costs for the coffin, mortuary and grave fees as well as the costs for laying out the grave. This also applies to urn burials. The costs of hospitality for mourners, for example, are not covered.
The social welfare office that provided social assistance for the deceased person until their death is responsible. However, if the deceased person did not receive social assistance, the social welfare office in whose area the place of death is located is responsible. If a person with German nationality who was not receiving social assistance dies abroad, responsibility depends on the individual case.