should the state pay for funeral if u have assets

[picklehall]

my neighbor recently past away. relations couldnt find any money to buried him, the funeral home went to human resources for state help to pay funeral bill for family . after the will was read a few days later the property and vehicle went to a friend. Should the funeral bill be paid by the assets the neighbor had first before friend receives the property and vehicle.

[dzug]

Yes the funeral bill should have been paid by the sale of those assets.

[buildersmate]

I suspect this will come out in the wash when whoever the executor is applies for probate, in order to get hands on the deceased assets - the probate registry will wonder why there are no funeral expenses as an expense.
Also the executor is committing an offence if he/she submits probate accounts that don't fully reflected the assets and expenses incurred by the estate of the deceased.

[factor-fiction]

I wonder if this is a query regarding a US citizen? If so, the principles are probably the same and the responses are valid but things may work slightly differently than in the UK.