New York · Bronx County
What to do when someone dies in Bronx County, New York
Bronx County is home to about 1,384,724 people. Everything below applies county-wide.
If you cannot afford burial or cremation in Bronx County, call the NYC Human Resources Administration, Office of Burial Services first, before signing anything with a funeral home. If the person was a veteran, free burial benefits may cover even more.
Step 1 of 5 · If money is tight
Bronx County burial assistance
Do not sign anything with a funeral home before you call. In many counties, signing first disqualifies the family.
Bronx County program
NYC Burial Assistance
NYC Human Resources Administration, Office of Burial Services
Office of Burial Services, 33-28 Northern Boulevard, 3rd Floor, Long Island City, NY 11101 (opens in Google Maps)
Official program pageWho qualifies
For low income decedents with no resources or assets available to pay for the funeral. Proof of low income can include receipt of HRA benefits such as cash assistance or SNAP, or Social Security benefits including SSI. A legally responsible relative who applies, meaning a spouse or the parent of a deceased minor under 21, must also be unable to pay the funeral bill and meet the low income criteria.
Time matters here: File within 120 days from the date of death with the Office of Burial Services.
| Benefit cap | Up to $1,700 toward the funeral, and the total funeral cost must stay within the city's expense cap for the allowance to be paid. |
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What it covers
Up to $1,700 toward funeral and burial related costs for which you can provide an itemized invoice from a funeral home, crematorium, or cemetery, as long as the total cost stays within the city's expense cap.
Documents to bring
- Itemized invoice from the funeral home, crematorium, or cemetery
- Proof of low income, such as an HRA or Social Security benefit record
How to apply
Apply online from any device through the Office of Burial Services, which lets you complete the application, upload documents, and check your status. Payment can either reimburse funeral expenses already paid or be pre-approved for a planned funeral, so applying before you pay is usually the safer route.
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 Bronx 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.comStep 4 of 5 · The paperwork
Death certificates in New York
Where copies come from
Order from the New York vital records office (official directory) or let the funeral home order for you.
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.
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.
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Sponsor Bronx CountyQuestions families ask
Straight answers
Who pays for a funeral in Bronx County if the family has no money?
Bronx County's assistance program (NYC Burial Assistance) can cover a basic burial or cremation for families who qualify. Call the administering office 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 Bronx 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 Bronx 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 New York, 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