The Burial Assistance Program provides a maximum of $1,000.00 towards the cost of a burial or $650.00 towards the cost of a cremation. Assistance is provided if the deceased is determined eligible and the total cost of the burial or cremation is no more than $2,000.00. The total cost of a burial for a deceased person requiring an oversized casket cannot exceed $3,000.00. Burial Assistance payments are made directly to the contract funeral home selected by the decedent’s next of kin.
Application: The Burial Assistance program will receive your documents by the online application at https://dcbenefits.dhs.dc.gov/, or e-mail your completed application to
[email protected]. You may also drop-off applications at the Economic Security Administration (ESA) Service Center at 645 H Street NE, between 7:30 am and 4:45 pm, Monday through Friday. You will be asked to complete an application and provide information to determine if the deceased is eligible.
What should I bring when I apply?
Please bring documents that:
Verify income and assets, such as pay stubs and bank account statements for the deceased and his/her spouse if married (or parents, if a minor child);
Verify that the deceased is a District resident (e.g. lease, utility bill);
Establish your relationship to the deceased (e.g. birth certificate, marriage certificate;
SSN of the deceased.
An individual may be eligible if the money available to the deceased on the date of the death does not exceed $1,000.00. This amount includes any remaining money from banking and checking accounts, Social Security checks, final pay check, etc. When determining eligibility, the income and assets of his/her spouse (if married) or parents (if a minor child) will be considered. To be eligible, the deceased must be a resident of the District of Columbia, even if death occurs outside of the District of Columbia. Also, burial or cremation services must be arranged through a funeral home under contract with the District and the deceased’s body must not have been released to a non-contract funeral home at the time of the application.
