Understanding Supplemental Security Income
SSI Spotlight on Burial Funds
2008 Edition

A burial fund is money set aside to pay for burial expenses. For example, this money can be in a bank account, other financial instrument, or a prepaid burial arrangement.

Some states allow an individual to pre–pay their burial by contracting with a funeral home and paying in advance for their funeral. You should discuss this with your local Social Security office.

Generally, you and your spouse can set aside up to $1,500 each to pay for burial expenses. In most cases, this money will not count as a resourceresource for SSI.

If you (and your spouse) own life insurance polices or have other burial arrangements in addition to your $1,500 burial funds, some of the money in the burial fund may count toward the resourceresource limit of $2,000 for an individual or $3,000 for a couple.

No. Interest earned on your (or your spouse's) burial fund that you leave in the fund does not count as a resourceresource or incomeincome for SSI and does not affect your SSI benefit.

Any account you set up must clearly show that the money is set aside to pay burial expenses. You can do this either by:

	titling the account as a burial fund; or
	signing a statement saying
	—how much has been set aside for burial expenses,
	—for whose burial the money is set aside,
	—how the money has been set aside, and
	—the date you first considered the money set aside for burial expenses.

If you spend any money from a burial fund on items unrelated to burial expenses, there may be a penalty.