New York · Onondaga County
What to do when someone dies in Onondaga County, New York
Onondaga County is home to about 469,812 people. Everything below applies county-wide.
If you cannot afford burial or cremation in Onondaga County, call the Onondaga County Department of Social Services, Economic Security, Resource Recovery Unit first, before signing anything with a funeral home. If the person was a veteran, free burial benefits may cover even more.
Onondaga County Indigent Burial Assistance
Onondaga County Department of Social Services, Economic Security, Resource Recovery Unit
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.
Step 1 of 5 · If money is tight
Onondaga County burial assistance
Do not sign anything with a funeral home before you call. In many counties, signing first disqualifies the family.
Onondaga County program
Read this before you call
An application is denied if it is submitted after the funeral services have already been performed, so apply before the funeral.
Onondaga County Indigent Burial Assistance
Onondaga County Department of Social Services, Economic Security, Resource Recovery Unit
John H. Mulroy Civic Center, 421 Montgomery Street, 12th Floor, Syracuse, NY 13202 (opens in Google Maps)
Official program pageWho qualifies
The county pays for and helps schedule burials for residents who die without funds or family to arrange and pay for one. The legally responsible parties are the estate, the spouse and the parents of minors, and if they do not have enough income or resources to cover the cost they may qualify for an indigent burial grant. The family can choose any funeral home.
| Income | Not published as a number. The application is generally denied if the deceased had more money than the county is being asked to pay for the funeral. |
|---|---|
| Assets | Application is generally denied if the deceased had a life insurance policy payable to a responsible party worth more than the county is asked to pay. It is denied if the deceased or a responsible party bought a burial plot within 6 months before the death. |
| Residency | Onondaga County residents. |
What it covers
Burial costs for eligible residents. Amount, and whether cremation is covered, are not published on the pages read, so ask when you call.
Documents to bring
- Signed application
- Bank statements from the prior 30 days or the most recent statement
- Most recent pay stubs
- Copies of any life insurance policies
- Copies of deeds to cemetery lots
- Copies of deeds to real property
- Funeral home itemization statement
- Proof of payment to funeral home
How to apply
Fill out the Burial Assistance Application from the county site and send it with the documents to the funeral home you choose, or to DSS Economic Security by mail, fax (315-435-2113), email or in person at 421 Montgomery Street, 12th Floor, Syracuse. Office phone 315-435-2397. Hours on the application are Monday to Friday 8:30 to 3:00, except county holidays.
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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 Onondaga 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
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.
More help nearby
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 Onondaga County if the family has no money?
Onondaga County's assistance program (Onondaga County Indigent Burial Assistance) can cover a basic burial or cremation for families who qualify. Call 315-435-2397 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 Onondaga 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 Onondaga 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