Connecticut · New Haven County
What to do when someone dies in New Haven County, Connecticut
New Haven County is home to about 864,835 people. Everything below applies county-wide.
If you cannot afford burial or cremation in New Haven County, call the Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS), through the New Haven Resource Center (a state program that serves New Haven County) first, before signing anything with a funeral home. If the person was a veteran, free burial benefits may cover even more.
Funeral and Burial Allowance (Connecticut DSS)
Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS), through the New Haven Resource Center (a state program that serves New Haven County)
When they answer, say: "I need to apply for burial assistance for a family member." It is okay if you do not have documents ready. They will tell you what to bring.
1
Step 1 of 5 · If money is tight
New Haven County burial assistance
Do not sign anything with a funeral home before you call. In many counties, signing first disqualifies the family.
New Haven County program
Read this before you call
DSS pays only the funeral director, cemetery or crematory, so family members who already paid cannot be reimbursed, and the application must be filed within one year of the death.
Funeral and Burial Allowance (Connecticut DSS)
Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS), through the New Haven Resource Center (a state program that serves New Haven County)
New Haven Resource Center, 50 Humphrey Street, New Haven, CT 06513 (opens in Google Maps)
Official program pageWho qualifies
DSS pays toward funeral, burial or cremation costs for people who received SAGA, TFA or State Supplement, and for indigent people, who die without enough estate and with no legally responsible relative able to pay for a proper funeral and burial. The funeral director, a family member, or whoever made the funeral arrangements can apply.
Time matters here: Applications must be made within one year of the date of death.
What it pays, what you pay
Maximum payment of $1,800 (effective July 1, 2024), reduced by assets, insurance and contributions as described above.
| Assets | The payment is reduced by liquid assets in the estate (such as bank accounts), life insurance, any funeral fund, any prepaid funeral contract, and contributions from any source that exceed $3,400. No other asset limit is published. |
|---|---|
| Residency | The person must have died in Connecticut. |
What it covers
Funeral and burial or cremation expenses, paid only to the funeral director, cemetery or crematory. Details on what items are covered are not published.
Documents to bring
- Application for Payment of Burial and Funeral Expenses (Form W-1053)
How to apply
Submit Form W-1053 to a DSS Resource Center (the New Haven office is at 50 Humphrey Street). Call the DSS Benefits Center at 1-855-626-6632 (Monday to Friday 8:00 am to 4:00 pm) with questions. The Resource Center general line 1-800-842-1508 is also listed on the DSS about page.
Advertise here
Local funeral home spot in New Haven County
Your funeral home could be right here.
One exclusive spot per county, shown to families in New Haven County while they decide who to call.
$79 per month. No contract. Cancel anytime. Pick your county, pay online, go live.
2
Step 2 of 5 · If they served
Was the person a veteran?
This can replace the county program
You may be able to skip the county program entirely. Veterans can receive a free gravesite, headstone, and perpetual care at a national or state veterans cemetery, plus a VA burial allowance of up to $2,000 for service-connected deaths.
Veteran burial help in New Haven CountyFrom our free tools
Housing costs weighing on the family too?
Check what housing assistance the household may qualify for, including Section 8 vouchers, in a few minutes. Free, no signup.
Check housing help at CheckMyVoucher.com4
Step 4 of 5 · The paperwork
Death certificates in Connecticut
Where copies come from
Certified copies come from the The vital records office in the town where the death occurred, or the Connecticut State Vital Records Office (official site). Go to the town, not the state. Each of Connecticut's 169 towns keeps the original certificate for deaths that happened there, and town requests are processed noticeably faster. Town issued copies are $20 each. If you do go through the state you must pay by money order payable to Treasurer, State of Connecticut, because credit cards and personal checks are not accepted. Worth knowing: Connecticut law lets the spouse, child, or parent of a deceased VETERAN get one free certified copy, with photo ID and proof of relationship.
Order about 10 certified copies. Banks, insurers, Social Security, vehicles, and property will each want one.
Connecticut death certificate cost, address and how to order
Know your rights
Every funeral home must follow these rules
Federal law (the FTC Funeral Rule) protects you. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise.
- They must give you prices over the phone. Refusing is a federal violation. Call two or three homes; prices for identical services can differ by thousands on the same street.
- Embalming is rarely required by law. If someone claims it is legally required, ask them to show you the law. Direct cremation and immediate burial never need it.
- You can decline anything in a package. You have the right to an itemized price list and to buy only what you choose.
- You can buy a casket anywhere. The funeral home must accept it without charging a handling fee.
Full rules: the FTC Funeral Rule. If a funeral home breaks them, you can report it to the FTC.
5
Step 5 of 5 · If you need more
Beyond the county, more help
Where families find the rest
- Dial 211 for local charities, churches, and county funds with money available right now.
- Ask local churches directly. Many congregations have benevolence funds for funerals even for non-members.
- Ask the funeral home about a payment plan or a simpler package. Direct cremation is usually the lowest-cost professional option, and prices vary widely between providers in the same city.
- Considering a fundraiser? Read crowdfunding a funeral: what works.
- And take care of you. Grief is not a checklist. If you are struggling, call or text 988 (free, 24/7) to talk to someone, and most hospices offer free grief support groups to the whole community, no connection to their patients required.
Right now
The first 48 hours
Nothing else on this page matters until these are done. Everything not on this list can wait, and most of it should.
- 1Get the pronouncement. Hospital or hospice handles it; at home, call 911.
- 2Ask one person to help. Making calls should not all be on you.
- 3Look for written wishes or prepaid arrangements before agreeing to anything.
- 4Money tight? Call the county FIRST. Signing with a funeral home first can disqualify you.
- 5Secure the home, pets, vehicles, and any dependents.
- 6Start one folder for every paper you receive. You will need it constantly.
- 7Banks and insurance can wait. That is week one, not today.
Questions families ask
Straight answers
Who pays for a funeral in New Haven County if the family has no money?
New Haven County's assistance program (Funeral and Burial Allowance (Connecticut DSS)) can cover a basic burial or cremation for families who qualify. Call 1-855-626-6632 before signing anything with a funeral home.
Does Social Security pay anything when someone dies?
Yes. An eligible surviving spouse or child can claim a one-time $255 lump-sum death payment by calling 1-800-772-1213, and monthly survivor benefits are often available too.
What if the person who died in New Haven County was a veteran?
Veterans may qualify for free burial in a national or state veterans cemetery plus a VA burial allowance, which can matter more than any county program. See our New Haven County veteran page for details.
How many death certificates do I need?
Most families need about 10 certified copies for banks, insurance, and property. In Connecticut, order through the funeral home or the state vital records office.
How much does a funeral usually cost?
A traditional funeral with burial commonly runs $7,000 to $12,000. Direct cremation is usually the lowest-cost professional option, often $700 to $2,000, and prices vary widely between providers in the same area, so it pays to call two or three. Every funeral home must give you prices over the phone under the FTC Funeral Rule.
I have power of attorney. Can I still use it?
No, and this surprises almost everyone: a power of attorney ends the moment the person dies. After death, authority passes to the executor named in the will, or to a court-appointed administrator when there is no will. Funeral decisions belong to the next of kin in the order set by state law, usually spouse first, then adult children, then parents, then siblings.
Nobody had power of attorney. Is that a problem?
For after-death decisions, no. Power of attorney only matters while someone is alive. The next of kin can make funeral decisions right away, and the estate is handled through the will or, without one, through the state's simple next-of-kin rules. See our guide on what happens when there is no will.
Advertise here
Legal help spot in New Haven County
Your law firm could be right here.
One exclusive spot per county, shown beside the probate and no-will questions families in New Haven County face a week later.
$79 per month. No contract. Cancel anytime. Pick your county, pay online, go live.
Verified against official sources
Reviewed by the Final Steps Help research team.
Last verified via official source.
See something outdated? Tell us and we will fix it.
Get the free after-death checklist
Every step for the first two weeks, personalized to where you are, with the exact numbers to call. Three short emails, then nothing else, ever. No signup, no card, and we will never call you.
Step 3 of 5 · Money owed to you
The Social Security $255 payment
Who can claim it
A surviving spouse who was living with the person who died, or a spouse or child eligible for benefits on the deceased person's record.
Call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 or visit a local office. You must apply within 2 years of the death. The funeral home often reports the death to SSA, but the survivor must apply for the payment.
Full guide: the $255 death payment, explained