Funeral Cost

[hardy49]

My brother passed away on Saturday. He had no funeral plan and we are very worried as we are pensioners and do not have the means to pay for a funeral. Can you help please ?

[barry1010]

Buenchico, you make a brief mention of the local authority's ability to claim the funeral expenses from the deceased's estate.
Isn't the executor(s) legally obliged to pay for the funeral costs out of the estate after he has paid inheritance tax before making the bequests?
Of course this isn't possible if the estate only consists of a stale loaf of bread and £10.70 in the piggy bank.

[Buenchico]

Barry:
If the deceased person left a will (which would seem to be unlikely in the case of Hardy49's brother, as I assume that he didn't have much to leave), you're correct in stating that the executor of that will has a legal obligation to pay for the costs of the funeral from the estate of the deceased. If there's insufficient money in the estate to pay for the funeral, the executor has to meet the cost from his/her own pocket (unless, wisely, he/she has renounced executorship as soon as the problem came to light!)

[barry1010]

I am sure that is wrong. The executor can never be called upon to pay for the funeral out of his own pocket if there is not enough assets from the estate unless he has personally contracted the undertakers.