4 Ways to Help Ease the Cost of Cremation Services

It seems our current economy is only making things more expensive, including cremations. Cremation services in Dixon, IL can get pretty pricey, even for just the basic cremation and not including extra money for a service or memorial. With the cost of cremation getting so high, its no wonder that people are looking for help to pay for them.  

Here are 4 ways you can get help paying for or lower the cost of a cremation:  

1. Preplanning - Check the deceased’s papers and information to see if they made any plans to help pay for their cremation. They might have put in place things such as:  

• Prepaying programs 
• Funeral insurance 
• Life insurance  
• Payable-on-death bank account  

2. Fund Raising - Don’t be afraid to ask for help from your community, neighborhood, friends or other family. You’d be surprised how quickly people will chip in. Get creative with fund raising like:  

• Car washes or bake sales 
• Church groups or donations  
• Memorial funds at the deceased’s workplace or bank 
• Crowd funding websites like GoFundMe.com or GiveForward.com 

Social media is also a great tool to make your need known and get more people involved. Don’t be afraid to share any fund raising, or write posts about your need.   

3. Government Assistance - Local, state and even federal government programs can help pay for funerals and cremations. Check with your local social service, county treasurer, or public fiduciary to see if any systems are in place. These programs have varying requirements, especially since local government budgets are tight and they are making such programs more difficult to qualify for. Be sure to double check that you are eligible.  

The Social Security Administration can also provide assistance. Call to report a death and you may be eligible for a lump sum of $225 or other survivor benefits. Other federal programs that can help include:  

• Medicare 
• Medicaid 
• The Bureau of Indian Affairs 
• The Railroad Retirement Board 
• Veteran’s Administration  

4. Low Cost Options - If you still can’t get enough funding, there are tons of low-cost funeral and cremation options you can choose from, including:  

• Memorial service at home or a community center 
• Pot-luck food for the service  
• Service at a church or other religious establishment  
• Body donation to a medical school or other organization (Science Care is the world’s largest body donor program) 
• Direct cremation 
• Burial on family land or a family plot  

There is no shame in asking for help paying for a cremation or other death-related service, as everyone needs help now and again. This is especially true around times of loss and hardship, like after a death when planning a cremation services.  

If you want to learn more about your options when it comes to Dixon, IL cremation services, Schilling Funeral Home & Cremation can help. We are located at 702 1st Ave Sterling, IL 61081, and our number is (815) 626-1131. We look forward to helping you in any way we can.