Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information his Department provides on (a) the average cost of a funeral and (b) potential sources of financial support for a funeral to families of the recently deceased who are in receipt of state benefits.

My department does not hold information on the average cost of a funeral. However the average funeral expenses payment for 2013/14 was £1,347.

My department provides financial support towards a funeral to those on certain state benefits via Social Fund Funeral Expenses Payments and Budgeting Loans.