Iowa · Polk County
What to do when someone dies in Polk County, Iowa
Polk County is home to about 516,185 people. Everything below applies county-wide.
If you cannot afford burial or cremation in Polk County, call the Polk County Community, Family & Youth Services, General Assistance first, before signing anything with a funeral home. If the person was a veteran, free burial benefits may cover even more.
General Assistance Cremation Assistance
Polk County Community, Family & Youth Services, General Assistance
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
Polk County burial assistance
Do not sign anything with a funeral home before you call. In many counties, signing first disqualifies the family.
Polk County program
General Assistance Cremation Assistance
Polk County Community, Family & Youth Services, General Assistance
2309 Euclid Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50310 (opens in Google Maps)
Official program pageWho qualifies
Polk County General Assistance helps with cremation expenses that are not covered in full by other sources. The family applies on a special Cremation Application, not the regular online application. Income of the person who died and of immediate family (spouse, parents, adult siblings and adult children) is reviewed.
What it pays, what you pay
Set by Board of Supervisors resolution; amount not published on the pages read.
| Income | Must meet General Assistance income guidelines. The dollar limit is not published on the pages read. |
|---|---|
| Assets | The application asks about real estate, vehicle titles, life insurance, burial insurance and bank accounts of the person who died. |
| Residency | The General Assistance manual requires Polk County residency and age 18 or older for applicants. |
What it covers
Cremation expenses up to the maximum set by the Polk County Board of Supervisors, to the extent they are not covered by other sources. The maximum amount is not published on the pages read, so call and ask.
Documents to bring
- Completed Cremation Application
- Recent bank statements, if accounts exist
- Income verification for all immediate family members (such as pay stubs or bank statement for the last 30 days, Social Security or child support printout)
- Photo ID and Social Security cards (General Assistance manual)
How to apply
Download the Cremation Application from the General Assistance page, complete it, and send it with the income proof by fax to 515-323-5220 or to the staff contact on the form. Call 515-286-2088 with questions. Wartime veterans or their spouses are directed to Veteran Affairs at 515-286-3670.
Advertise here
Local funeral home spot in Polk County
Your funeral home could be right here.
One exclusive spot per county, shown to families in Polk 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 Polk 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 Iowa
Where copies come from
Certified copies come from the Iowa county recorder offices, which serve as local registrars, or the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services Bureau of Vital Records (official site). Iowa gives you a useful option: you can order from the county of RESIDENCE or the county where the death occurred, so pick whichever is closer. Local registrars sit inside county recorder offices. Certified copies are $20 each as of the July 1, 2026 increase, and some county pages still show the old $15, so bring the higher amount. Ordering by mail requires a NOTARIZED application plus a photocopy of your ID. VitalChek online orders add a fee starting around $14 per order.
Order about 10 certified copies. Banks, insurers, Social Security, vehicles, and property will each want one.
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 Polk County if the family has no money?
Polk County's assistance program (General Assistance Cremation Assistance) can cover a basic burial or cremation for families who qualify. Call 515-286-2088 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 Polk 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 Polk 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 Iowa, 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 Polk County
Your law firm could be right here.
One exclusive spot per county, shown beside the probate and no-will questions families in Polk 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