Options for Financial Help with Funeral Expenses

A death in the family or among other loved ones is one of the most traumatic events that a surviving human being can go through. The grief and the sadness are often incomparable, but planning the arrangements can also serve to be a source of stress for many people left in charge of looking into services. Funerals in America can cost around $9,000 on average, which is a significant amount of money that many people can struggle to come up with, especially if they do not have much savings to their name. Fortunately, there are sources for help with funeral expenses in Chicago, IL that your partners at Marik-Baken Funeral Services Ltd. can help walk you through.

Look into government help

One source of financial relief in times of funeral planning can be programs that are run by individual states, counties or even cities. Some states like Idaho or New York don’t offer programs at the state level, but may do so at the more local tier. Other states like Maine have general assistance programs that can help out with funeral costs by offering up to $1,000 in assistance. Other states can provide help with funeral expenses in Chicago, IL, but it’s necessary to perform all of this research on your own to make sure you’re receiving the best possible information.

Explore your options

A funeral can seem like a strange occasion for shopping around, but it’s actually a very good time to do so. A lot of items can be found at lower expense online, for example—you can even find a casket on Amazon if you look around, which is helpful as this can be one of the biggest expenses faced by someone planning a funeral.

Help with funeral costs in Chicago, IL also extends to additional services such as embalming. Many people are surprised to know that many states don’t even require embalming. Some have specific criteria, such as requiring embalming if the body is crossing state lines, but others don’t require it at all, and this may result in significant savings depending on your needs.

Military benefits

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) can help families of veterans cope with the costs of funerals. If someone dies in a service-related incident, then the VA offers their family up to $2,000 to help with burial costs, or $780 if the death was not related to their military service. This can be a real help with funeral expenses in Chicago, IL, so if the departed served their country, it’s worth looking into this potential source of funds.

A funeral can be one of the most stressful experiences you can face if you’re in charge of planning the arrangements. However, it’s important to keep perspective and remember that it is still partially a financial transaction—there is no shame in shopping around for items and services. At Marik-Baken Funeral Services Ltd., our team has been serving our community since 2006 and believe that we offer the highest quality at the most affordable prices. We’re always happy to speak with anyone about our offerings, as well as offer advice and insight. Reach out to us today to leanr more.

Categorised in: Funeral Expenses

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