Financial support for bereaved families
Funeral/tangihanga costs
Who can provide funding for the funeral or tangihanga?
Social Security Act 2018, ss 90–94 Social Security Regulations 2018, reg 55 Accident Compensation Act 2001, s 69, Schedule 1, clause 64
You may be able to get help for the costs of the funeral or tangihanga from the following sources:
- Funeral grant from Work and Income – If you can’t afford to pay for the funeral or tangihanga, you may be able to get up to $2,445.37 from Work and Income to cover the cost, including for preparing the body (for example, embalming), the coffin, newspaper notices, the hearse, and the costs of the burial plot or cremation. For more information, go to the Work and Income website, here (or go to workandincome.govt.nz and search “funeral grant”).
- Funeral grant from ACC – If the death was because of an accident, ACC will pay a funeral grant of up to $7,024.80. Families of murder or manslaughter victims qualify for up to $10,000 towards funeral and memorial costs. Contact ACC, or you can apply online, here (or go to acc.co.nz, select “I’m injured,” and then select: “Financial support if someone has died from an injury”).
- Help from your iwi – Māori may be able to get a grant for tangihanga from their iwi organisation. Māori can also seek tangihanga funding from Māori land trusts or organisations in which they (or the deceased) have an interest (see: “Methods of managing Māori land: Trusts, incorporations, and reservations”). To find out about other possible sources of support, contact Te Puni Kōkiri or your local marae or Māori church.
