Pennsylvania · York County
What to do when someone dies in York County, Pennsylvania
York County is home to about 471,240 people. Everything below applies county-wide.
If you cannot afford burial or cremation in York County, call the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, through the York County Assistance Office first, before signing anything with a funeral home. If the person was a veteran, free burial benefits may cover even more.
Pennsylvania DHS Burial and Cremation Payment
Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, through the York County Assistance 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
York County burial assistance
Do not sign anything with a funeral home before you call. In many counties, signing first disqualifies the family.
York County program
Read this before you call
The request form must be filed within 30 days of the date of death, and the funeral director must be enrolled with the state to be paid, so call the County Assistance Office right away.
Pennsylvania DHS Burial and Cremation Payment
Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, through the York County Assistance Office
130 N. Duke Street, York, PA 17405 (opens in Google Maps)
Official program pageWho qualifies
Pennsylvania pays toward burial or cremation for people who received Supplemental Security Income, received or were found eligible for state cash assistance before death, or were certain long term nursing home residents. The local County Assistance Office decides eligibility. Payment goes to the funeral director, not to the family.
Time matters here: The request form is due within 30 days of the date of death, with exceptions for unusual circumstances.
What it pays, what you pay
The state payment is capped at $750.
| Assets | The deceased person's countable resources reduce the payment. If resources total $1,500 or more, the state pays nothing. If resources are $750 or less, the state pays $750. In between, the state pays the difference from $1,500. Burial insurance, cash in the estate and similar items count. |
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What it covers
Burial or cremation expenses paid to the funeral director. Clothing, transportation for the funeral party, obituaries, flowers and religious services are not counted in the calculation.
How to apply
A relative, friend, or a church or charity representative (or a funeral director acting for them) completes the burial payment request form with the funeral director. Call the County Assistance Office to start and confirm eligibility. Toll free: 800-991-0929.
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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 York 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 Pennsylvania
Where copies come from
Certified copies come from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Records (official site). A death certificate costs $20 each no matter how many you order, plus a $10 service fee if you order online. Pennsylvania's only authorized online vendor is mycertificates.health.pa.gov. Mail applications go to the Division of Vital Records, Death Certificate Processing Unit, PO Box 1528, New Castle, PA 16103, with a check or money order payable to VITAL RECORDS. Allow 2 to 3 weeks. Under Act 137 of 2024 there is a fee waiver for members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their spouses, including a widow or widower who has not remarried, so ask about it if it applies.
Order about 10 certified copies. Banks, insurers, Social Security, vehicles, and property will each want one.
Pennsylvania death certificate cost, address and how to order
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 York County if the family has no money?
York County's assistance program (Pennsylvania DHS Burial and Cremation Payment) can cover a basic burial or cremation for families who qualify. Call 717-771-1100 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 York 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 York 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 Pennsylvania, 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