If you can’t afford a funeral, Michigan burial assistance is available through the State Emergency Relief (SER) program, which pays up to $875 toward a burial or $640 toward a cremation for families who lack the resources to cover the cost. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) runs the program, and your application has to reach your local MDHHS office within 20 business days after the burial, cremation, or body donation.1State of Michigan. Burial Services The rules differ from other SER benefits in ways that matter, and the filing window is tight, so it pays to know the details before you file.
What SER Pays
SER burial assistance covers three types of disposition: burial, cremation, and donation of a body to a medical school.1State of Michigan. Burial Services Maximum payments, effective October 1, 2025, break down by service type and by who receives the money:2Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. ERM 306 – Burial Services Policy
- Burial with memorial service: $615 to the funeral director, $160 to the cemetery, $100 for a vault. Total $875.
- Burial without memorial service: $350 to the funeral director, $160 to the cemetery, $100 for a vault. Total $610.
- Cremation with memorial service: $480 to the funeral director, $160 to the crematory. Total $640.
- Cremation without memorial service: $230 to the funeral director, $160 to the crematory. Total $390.
- Fetus or infant under one month: $180 to the funeral director, $60 to the cemetery. Total $240.
- Unclaimed body: $700 to the funeral director, $160 to the cemetery or crematory, $100 for a vault. Total $960.
These are ceilings. SER will not pay more than the actual charges, and it will not reimburse amounts already covered by insurance, veterans’ benefits, or the deceased’s estate.3Cornell Law Institute. Michigan Admin Code R 400.7034 – Payment for Burial or Cremation The remains must already be in Michigan; SER will not pay to transport a body from another state.1State of Michigan. Burial Services
Who Qualifies
Income Limits
MDHHS sets monthly income limits by household size:4State of Michigan. Conditions of Eligibility
- One person: $445
- Two people: $500
- Three people: $625
- Four people: $755
- Five people: $885
- Six people: $1,105
Being over the limit does not automatically disqualify you. The amount above the limit becomes your copayment, the share of the burial cost SER won’t cover.4State of Michigan. Conditions of Eligibility Modest income above the threshold can still leave you with meaningful help.
Asset Rules
Burial is the SER category where the standard $15,000 cash asset limit does not apply.4State of Michigan. Conditions of Eligibility When a surviving group member exists, MDHHS allows a $15,000 exclusion on cash assets and a $15,000 exclusion on non-cash assets, then combines the remaining countable assets of the deceased and responsible relatives to determine any asset copayment.2Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. ERM 306 – Burial Services Policy
When there is no surviving group member, the decedent’s assets are treated as an estate. If that estate’s projected value equals or exceeds the SER burial payment maximum, the application will be denied.2Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. ERM 306 – Burial Services Policy
Other Resources Come First
SER is the payer of last resort. MDHHS will check for life insurance, veterans’ benefits, prepaid funeral agreements, and support from fraternal or social organizations, and each of those reduces the SER payment dollar for dollar.3Cornell Law Institute. Michigan Admin Code R 400.7034 – Payment for Burial or Cremation A small life insurance policy can wipe out SER eligibility if it covers the maximum payment amount, so be ready to document what exists and what it pays.
Who Is Allowed to Apply
MDHHS limits who can file. Authorized applicants are:2Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. ERM 306 – Burial Services Policy
- Any relative of the deceased, including a minor acting through an authorized representative
- A person named in the decedent’s will to arrange burial
- A funeral representative designated by the decedent before death
- A special administrator appointed by probate court
- A legal guardian appointed by probate court
- Someone who held durable power of attorney at the time of death
- A funeral director with written authorization from a relative who is incapable or unable to apply
Friends, neighbors, and unmarried partners who are not named in a will or power of attorney document cannot apply on their own.2Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. ERM 306 – Burial Services Policy
How to Apply
File the DHS-1514 Application for State Emergency Relief with your local MDHHS office. You can start online through the MI Bridges portal or apply in person.1State of Michigan. Burial Services The application must reach MDHHS no later than 20 business days after the burial, cremation, or donation.5State of Michigan. Application for State Emergency Relief DHS-1514 Business days means weekends and holidays don’t count, but start immediately anyway. Gathering documentation takes longer than most people expect, and late applications are denied.
Have the following ready before you file:
- Proof of income: pay stubs, benefit statements, or bank records covering the next 30 days of expected income
- Proof of assets: bank statements and current values for vehicles, real property, or other holdings
- The itemized funeral bill or statement showing total charges and any payments already made
- Evidence of other resources: life insurance policies, veterans’ benefit information, prepaid funeral agreements
MDHHS may ask for more, such as verification of your relationship to the deceased or a death certificate. Missing documentation is the most common reason applications stall.5State of Michigan. Application for State Emergency Relief DHS-1514
Talk to the funeral director before the service. Most Michigan funeral homes know the program and will work with you on timing, but that conversation needs to happen before you receive a bill.
If You’re Denied
You have 90 days from the date the denial notice was mailed to request an administrative hearing, using the DHS-18 form filed with your local MDHHS office.6State of Michigan. DHS-18 Request for Hearing The hearing is run by the Michigan Office of Administrative Hearings and Rules, which operates independently from MDHHS.7Department of Health & Human Services. Michigan Office of Administrative Hearings and Rules for Michigan Dept of Health and Human Services You can present new evidence at the hearing. A lawyer isn’t required, but can help if the denial turned on a complex question like asset valuation or the last-resort determination.
The most common denial reasons are missing the 20-business-day deadline, countable assets over the payment maximum, and failure to document that other resources are insufficient. If the problem was missing paperwork rather than a fundamental eligibility bar, the hearing is your second chance to submit it.
Other Help That May Apply
VA Burial Benefits
If the deceased was a veteran with a discharge other than dishonorable, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs offers burial allowances more generous than SER. For deaths on or after October 1, 2025:8U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Veterans Burial Allowance and Transportation Benefits
- Non-service-connected death: up to $1,002 for burial and $1,002 for a plot
- Service-connected death: up to $2,000 for burial expenses9Veterans Benefits Administration. Burial Benefits – Compensation
The VA also provides government-furnished headstones or markers at no cost for eligible veterans buried in national or private cemeteries, and eligibility extends to National Guard members and reservists who met certain service requirements.10Veterans Affairs. Veterans Headstones, Markers, Plaques and Urns MDHHS will reduce your SER payment by the VA amount, so these programs interact rather than stack. Applying for VA benefits when the deceased was a veteran isn’t optional; it’s built into the SER process.
Social Security
Social Security pays a one-time lump-sum death payment of $255 to a surviving spouse or, if there is no spouse, to eligible children. You must apply within two years of the death.11Social Security Administration. Lump-Sum Death Payment The amount is small, but it goes to the survivor rather than toward burial costs, so it doesn’t reduce SER eligibility.
Surviving spouses and children may also qualify for ongoing Social Security survivor benefits on the deceased’s work record. Spouses generally qualify at age 60 or older, or at any age if caring for the deceased’s child. Unmarried children qualify through age 17, or through 19 if still in school full time.12Social Security Administration. Who Can Get Survivor Benefits Those benefits don’t pay for the funeral itself, but they can stabilize a household in the months that follow.
When No Relative Can Arrange Burial
If the deceased has no relative or authorized representative to arrange burial, the body is classified as unclaimed and the county medical examiner takes responsibility. The medical examiner or their designated funeral representative can apply for SER, with a maximum of $960. Before eligibility is determined, the medical examiner must first offer the remains to designated Michigan universities for anatomical donation. Only after that step can the SER application proceed. Funeral directors cannot apply for SER on behalf of an unclaimed body on their own; the application must come through the medical examiner’s office.2Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. ERM 306 – Burial Services Policy