Virginia · Pulaski County
What to do when someone dies in Pulaski County, Virginia
Pulaski County is home to about 33,579 people. Everything below applies county-wide.
If you cannot afford burial or cremation in Pulaski County, help exists: the county has a legal process for indigent burial, Social Security pays an eligible spouse or child $255, and veterans qualify for free burial benefits. We are still verifying Pulaski County's exact program contact; the steps below work everywhere in Virginia.
Step 1 of 5 · If money is tight
Pulaski County burial assistance
Do not sign anything with a funeral home before you call. In many counties, signing first disqualifies the family.
Two calls that reach the right office
We have not yet phone-verified Pulaski County's program details. Until we do, these two calls reach the right office fast:
- Dial 211 and ask for burial or funeral assistance in Pulaski County. Specialists know which local office and charities have funds right now.
- Call the Pulaski County health department, social services, or medical examiner and ask for the indigent burial program. Do this before signing anything with a funeral home.
How these programs work everywhere: indigent burial, explained.
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 Pulaski 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 Virginia
Where copies come from
Order from the Virginia 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.
Local sponsor
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Sponsor Pulaski CountyQuestions families ask
Straight answers
Who pays for a funeral in Pulaski County if the family has no money?
The county where the death occurred is generally responsible when a family truly cannot pay. Call 211 or the Pulaski County offices and ask for the indigent burial program 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 Pulaski 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 Pulaski 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 Virginia, 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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Estate or probate attorney serving Pulaski County? Families here are one week from probate questions. One exclusive spot, founding rate $99 per month.
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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