State Grant

• California offers the Individuals and Households Program (IHP) for funeral expenses related to a Presidentially-declared disaster. These funds are provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Each application is taken on a case-by-case basis. You can register for IHP benefits by calling the FEMA registration line at 800-621-3362.
  
  

Emilio Nares Foundation

• The Emilio Nares Foundation provides burial and bereavement assistance for those families whose child died from cancer. The funds are only available for low income families; normally 12 to 15 families are assisted each year. Families must be residents of Orange County, California, to apply for these funds.
  
  

Veterans

• If the deceased served in any branch of the military, you can receive a burial benefit or a burial allowance. The burial benefit provides a grave site; opening and closing of the grave; a marker or headstone; a Presidential memorial certificate; a burial flag; and care of the grave site at any of the national cemeteries that have available space. This is all free, and this same benefit is available for dependents and spouses of veterans. The burial allowance can be received in place of burial benefits, but the maximum amount of funds available varies, depending on whether it was a service-related death or non-service-related death.
  
  

Social Security Death Benefit

• If the deceased was receiving Social Security, a "qualified spouse" is able to claim the death benefit. This death benefit is a one-time claim, for which the beneficiary can receive $255 towards funeral expenses. The "qualified spouse" includes a spouse of the deceased or a dependent who is under the age of 18. The claim for this death benefit must be made within two years of the death.