Child Funeral Fund Northern Ireland: CFF1 Form and How to Claim

No parent should have to worry about money when their child has died. The Child Funeral Fund exists so they don't have to — it's a substantial lump sum payment that covers funeral costs for any child under 18 who has died, or a baby stillborn after 24 weeks of pregnancy. Unlike most benefits in Northern Ireland, the CFF is not means-tested. Your income, savings, and employment status are irrelevant.

How Much Does the Child Funeral Fund Pay?

The CFF provides a one-off lump sum of approximately £3,056 to £3,441 (verify the current amount with the DfC, as the figure adjusts periodically). This is designed to cover the cost of a standard funeral, including burial or cremation fees and funeral director charges.

The payment goes directly to the person who took responsibility for the funeral costs — typically a parent, but it can be a grandparent, other relative, or any person who arranged the funeral.

Eligibility

The criteria are straightforward:

• The deceased must be a child under the age of 18, or a baby stillborn after the 24th week of pregnancy
• You must have taken responsibility for the funeral costs
• The funeral must take place in the United Kingdom

There is no income test. There is no requirement to be receiving any qualifying benefit. A family earning well above the average can claim the CFF just as readily as a family on Universal Credit.

How to Claim Using CFF1

The claim form is called CFF1. You can get it by calling the NI Bereavement Service on 0800 085 2463 — the same number used to report a death and claim the Bereavement Support Payment. The operator can often take your CFF details during that initial call.

You'll need:

• The child's full name and date of birth (or estimated date of delivery for a stillbirth)
• The date of death
• The funeral director's details and the funeral invoice
• Your bank details for payment

Submit the completed CFF1 form to the DfC. Processing typically takes a few weeks.

The 6-Month Deadline

You must claim within 6 months of the funeral taking place. The DfC counts from the date of the funeral, not the date of death. If the funeral is delayed — for example, because of a coroner's investigation — the 6-month clock doesn't start until the funeral actually happens.

Don't wait until you have the final invoice. You can claim based on a funeral director's estimate and provide the invoice later.

CFF vs Funeral Expenses Payment

These are two separate pots of money, and you cannot claim both for the same funeral:

Child Funeral Fund (CFF1): Not means-tested. Available to anyone regardless of income. Pays approximately £3,056 to £3,441. No recovery from the estate.

Funeral Expenses Payment (SF200): Means-tested. Requires you to be receiving Universal Credit, Pension Credit, or another qualifying benefit. Amount varies. DfC can recover the payment from the deceased's estate if assets are later found.

If you qualify for both, the Child Funeral Fund is almost always the better option — it's more generous, has no means test, and the DfC cannot claw the money back from the estate.

What If There Are Other Costs?

The CFF covers the funeral itself, but families dealing with a child's death often face additional costs — time off work, travel to and from hospital, counselling. The CFF doesn't cover these. However, the Make the Call service (0800 232 1271) can assess your household for every other benefit you might qualify for, including crisis support, housing assistance, and reduced utility costs.

The Northern Ireland Survivor Benefits Navigator covers the Child Funeral Fund alongside every other financial support available to bereaved families in NI, including the critical deadlines and notification sequences that prevent any entitlement from slipping through the gaps.

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