Michigan · Ottawa County
What to do when someone dies in Ottawa County, Michigan
Ottawa County is home to about 306,235 people. Everything below applies county-wide.
If you cannot afford burial or cremation in Ottawa County, call the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), Ottawa County office first, before signing anything with a funeral home. If the person was a veteran, free burial benefits may cover even more.
State Emergency Relief (SER) Burial Assistance
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), Ottawa County office
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.
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Step 1 of 5 · If money is tight
Ottawa County burial assistance
Do not sign anything with a funeral home before you call. In many counties, signing first disqualifies the family.
Ottawa County program
Read this before you call
The application must be filed no later than 20 business days after the burial or cremation, and the family cannot pay more than the SER maximum plus $6,000 in extra contributions or the application is denied.
State Emergency Relief (SER) Burial Assistance
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), Ottawa County office
12185 James St., Suite 200, Holland, MI 49424 (opens in Google Maps)
Official program pageWho qualifies
State Emergency Relief helps with burial, cremation or body donation costs when the estate of the person who died and mandatory family copayments are not enough. A relative, a person named in the will, a court appointed representative or a funeral director with written permission from a relative can apply. If the estate or countable assets are worth more than the SER payment maximum, the application is denied.
Time matters here: The application must be made no later than 20 business days after the burial, cremation or donation takes place.
What it pays, what you pay
Maximum state payments: burial with memorial service $875, burial without memorial service $610, cremation with memorial service $640, cremation without memorial service $390 (effective 10/1/2025 table).
| Income | No single income limit. Income expected in the 30 day period for the deceased and a spouse (or a parent of a child under 18) is used to figure a required copayment, which is subtracted from the state payment. Call and ask. |
|---|---|
| Assets | Cash and non cash assets of the deceased and responsible relatives are counted. A $15,000 cash exclusion and a $15,000 non cash exclusion apply if there is a surviving spouse or other group member; a person with no survivor gets no exclusion. Countable assets above the payment maximum mean denial. |
What it covers
Goods and services normally provided to bury, cremate or donate a body: funeral director services, a required vault, a single burial space, and opening and closing the grave. Clothing, clergy fees and an urn are not paid. Friends and relatives may add up to $6,000 for extra services.
Documents to bring
- SER application (DHS-1514, or apply through MI Bridges)
- Funeral home's itemized statement of goods and services, signed by the funeral home and the applicant
- Proof of Social Security death benefit amount if there is a surviving spouse
- Written estimates of the value of any estate (vehicle, property, accounts)
- Copies of prepaid funeral contracts or life insurance information, if any
How to apply
Call the MDHHS Ottawa County office at 616-394-7200 to start, or apply for State Emergency Relief online through MI Bridges. Bring the signed itemized statement from the funeral home. Payment goes to the funeral provider.
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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 Ottawa 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 Michigan
Where copies come from
Certified copies come from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Vital Records (official site). Anyone can request a certified copy of a Michigan death record in writing if they prepay the search fee. You can order by mail, online, by phone, by drop box, or by appointment in person. VitalChek is the only authorized online provider, and phone orders go through 866-443-9897. Mail orders take about 4 to 5 weeks, or 2 to 3 weeks with rush processing, so if you need copies quickly do not order by mail. The office and drop box are at 333 South Grand Avenue, Lansing, MI 48933.
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.
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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 Ottawa County if the family has no money?
Ottawa County's assistance program (State Emergency Relief (SER) Burial Assistance) can cover a basic burial or cremation for families who qualify. Call 616-394-7200 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 Ottawa 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 Ottawa 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 Michigan, 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.
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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