New York · Broome County
What to do when someone dies in Broome County, New York
Broome County is home to about 196,397 people. Everything below applies county-wide.
If you cannot afford burial or cremation in Broome County, call the Broome County Department of Social Services (DSS) first, before signing anything with a funeral home. If the person was a veteran, free burial benefits may cover even more.
Broome County Indigent Burial Program
Broome County Department of Social Services (DSS)
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
Broome County burial assistance
Do not sign anything with a funeral home before you call. In many counties, signing first disqualifies the family.
Broome County program
Read this before you call
All burials and cremations paid by DSS must be approved by DSS before funeral arrangements are made.
Broome County Indigent Burial Program
Broome County Department of Social Services (DSS)
Thomas P. Hoke Human Services Center, 36-42 Main Street, Binghamton, NY 13905 (opens in Google Maps)
Official program pageWho qualifies
Broome County DSS is responsible under New York Social Services Law for the care, removal and burial of indigent people who die in the county. Before DSS pays, the deceased person's own assets, including Social Security, VA benefits and life insurance, are applied to the costs. If relatives or friends can pay more than the county allowance, it is not treated as an indigent burial.
What it pays, what you pay
For 2026, the allowance for immediate burial or cremation is $1,472 for non veterans, plus a casket up to $800 and cemetery costs. Rates for a stillborn or child up to age one are $533. DSS pays the lesser of the allowance or the funeral home's general price list.
| Assets | All assets of the deceased, including Social Security, Veterans benefits and life insurance, are credited toward the costs up to the county allowance. No dollar asset limit is published, so call and ask. |
|---|---|
| Residency | The person must have died within Broome County. |
What it covers
Immediate burial or immediate cremation, plus a minimum cost casket, minimal cemetery and cremation costs, and a minimum cost grave plot at the approved cemetery. Full service burials are only for honorably discharged veterans and their spouses. Family or friends may add up to $1,000 for items DSS does not cover, such as calling hours or an urn. Obituary, clergy honorarium and prayer cards are the family's cost.
Documents to bring
- Application
- Bank statements
- DD214 for veterans
- Attestation of Burial Expenses
- Death certificate (submitted by the funeral home with billing)
How to apply
Contact DSS before making funeral arrangements. The funeral home submits the application and documents for the person arranging the funeral. Call the DSS Assistance Programs Call Center at 607-778-1100 (11 AM to 3 PM) or visit the Hoke Human Services Center.
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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 Broome 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 New York
Where copies come from
Certified copies come from the New York State Department of Health, Vital Records Section (official site). Mail requests cost $30 per copy and go to the Vital Records Certification Unit, P.O. Box 2602, Albany, NY 12220-2602. Be careful with the timing: mail requests take ten to twelve WEEKS, while online or phone orders through VitalChek get priority handling and take five to ten business days. VitalChek costs $45 per certificate, which includes a $15 priority fee, plus an $8 processing charge per order. If you need copies to settle accounts soon, the extra cost buys you about two months. The Vital Records Call Center is 855-322-1022. Note that New York City deaths are handled separately by the NYC Health Department, not the state.
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 Broome County if the family has no money?
Broome County's assistance program (Broome County Indigent Burial Program) can cover a basic burial or cremation for families who qualify. Call 607-778-1100 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 Broome 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 Broome 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