The charge for moving a dead body ranges from $1,500.00 to $2,000.00 and sometimes more depending on the funeral home and the distance the dead body needs to be transported.
Domestic flights for transporting a dead body range from $1,500.00 to as much as $5,000.00 and international flights for transporting a dead body can be as much as $4,000.00 to as much as $15,000.00 and sometimes more.
You can also transport a dead body yourself and even transport the dead body across state lines with the proper permitting.
If you don't report a dead body it can result in fines and even jail time and even a criminal record, especially if the death is a result of an accident or if the person actively concealed the body.
Failing to report a dead body is a crime in most cases, although the specific charges and penalties for failing to report a dead body can vary by state and the circumstances of the death, and some jurisdictions classify the failure to report a dead body as a misdemeanor and some classify it as a felony.
When someone dies even of natural causes you must report the dead body to the police by calling either 911 or the local polices non emergency number.
You don't have any specific time frame to report a death to Social Security although it's recommended that you report the death to Social Security within a day or two of the persons death.
Although if a funeral home is handling the dead person then the funeral home will notify Social Security and report the death to Social Security within a day or two of the death and so you don't usually have to report the death to Social Security yourself.
You also have as long as two years to apply for a lump sum death payment, but reporting the death immediately is recommended to stop the Social Security benefits and prevent overpayments.
The funeral home will report the death to the SSA for you and all you need to do is provide the funeral home with the deceased's Social Security number.
Social Security does not directly pay for the cost of cremation or burial.
However Social Security does offer at least a one time lump sum of $255.00 death payment that can be used to pay part of the burial or cremation cost if the person qualifies.
The one time lump sum of $255.00 death payment from Social Security is not automatic though and must be applied for by a surviving spouse, or by an eligible child.
If the deceased has no money, the next of kin is responsible for funeral costs, although they are not legally obligated to pay for the funeral unless they sign a contract.
And if no one pays for the funeral or cremation, the local government can arrange a simple and low cost funeral or cremation for the deceased person.
And other options for a funeral or cremation costs are seeking government assistance like the Social Security death benefit or state programs or if the deceased is a veteran they might be eligible for veterans benefits to cover some or all the cost of cremation or burial.
If you can't pay, what funeral homes will often do is contact the state or county coroner's office to take responsibility of the body, which results in a no frills burial or cremation.
The family of the deceased person can also seek out financial assistance from government programs like social security or veteran's benefits or even consider donating the body to science or use crowdfunding or go fund me to get donations to help pay for the burial or cremation of the body.
While all funeral homes will offer payment plans, a small percentage of funeral homes might offer payment plans.
Although the majority of funeral homes now require payment in full before the funeral or cremation will take place.
It's also a good idea to plan you or a persons funeral well in advance and pay the funeral home directly for the cremation or funeral ahead of time or place that money in a savings account that you can use to pay for the funeral or cremation when the time comes.
My grandma and grandpa had prepaid there funerals so all we had to do was setup and attend the funeral.
If no agreement is reached with the funeral home, the funeral home can in some cases, transfer the body to the county or state's responsibility.
Social security will usually offer a one time death benefit that is available to eligible surviving spouses or other family members.
And some but not all veterans can be eligible for burial and transportation benefits.
And some states and counties even have programs for low income families and for people receiving Medicaid or for indigent people.
If you donate the body to medical school or research the medical school or medical research place will cover the cost of cremation for the body in exchange for the donation to medical research and medical school and the remains can be turned over back to the family if you desire.