Pre-planning

When pre-planning a funeral, all of your thoughts and wishes are planned for. Your family will know what you want, and not what they think you want. At Hunn, Black & Merritt Funeral Home, we'll help you put it in writing. Writing it down will help avoid family disputes, or involvement by others that may not know what your wishes are. Your loved ones won't question: "Did we do the right thing? Did we forget anything? Is this what she/he wanted? Did we spend too much?" All that is eliminated because you put it in writing.

Pre-planning is the first step. Many people are considering ways to fund their funeral. Funding the funeral guarantees that the goods and services selected will not cost the family anything more. Pre-planning along with pre-funding work together because they offer peace of mind. Your survivors will not be burdened with decisions regarding your funeral.

Since 1960, the number of pre-planned funerals has increased by 1000%. Why such a dramatic increase in Pre-Planned Funerals?

Because pre-planning guarantees:

• Your wishes will be fulfilled.

• You will spare your loved ones any unnecessary financial burden.

Pre-planning your own funeral makes sense because it allows you to take full control of your funeral right now. You can save your loved ones the trauma of making difficult decisions without knowing exactly what you have wanted.

Pre-planning allows you to confer with your loved ones and make your plans together, thus resolving your most personal matters with a clear mind, in a peaceful and relaxed atmosphere. In return, you will save the people you care about most from the emotional turmoil and burdensome decisions that an unplanned funeral can often bring.

By making the decision to pre-pay now, you will lock in the cost of your funeral at today's prices, even if you live for another 50 years. When you pre-arrange and pre-pay, you can be assured that definite arrangements have been made and no other financial decisions need to be faced. Your funds are held by one of the countries leading reputable financial institutions in a special contract, designed solely for providing the exact funeral you have chosen at the time of need. No matter what the cost of fulfilling your last wishes at your time of need, pre-payment guarantees the cost will remain constant, regardless of inflation. In fact, since pre-paying ensures that you are protected against inflation, you can save thousands of dollars to spend as you please or leave to your loved ones.

(Finally, people preplan and prepay a funeral to reduce a family member’s assets so that that particular family member may qualify for Medicaid upon entering a nursing home. When a person enters a nursing home, the nursing home is going to utilize all of his/her funds before he or she can qualify for Medicaid. By using available money to prepay a funeral before funds are exhausted, the family can be assured that funeral costs will be taken care of while still qualifying their loved one for Medicaid.)

Social Security Eligibility

The deceased worker must have credit for work covered by Social Security, ranging from 1 1/2 to 10 years depending on his or her age at death.

Who May Receive Monthly Benefits

A widow or widower age 60 or older (50 if disabled), or at any age if caring for an entitled child who is under 16 or disabled.

A divorced widow or widower age 60 or older (50 if disabled) if the marriage lasted 10 years, or if caring for an entitled child who is under 16 or disabled.

Unmarried children up to 18 (19 if they are attending a primary or secondary school full lime).

Children who were disabled before reaching 22, as long as they remained disabled.

Dependent parent or parents 62 or older.

Lump-Sum Death Payment

A one time payment of $255 is paid in addition to the monthly cash benefits described above. The lump-sum death payment (LSDP) is paid in the following priority order:

A surviving spouse who lived in the same household as the deceased person at the time of death.

A surviving spouse eligible for or entitled to benefits for the month of death.

A child or children eligible for or entitled to benefits for the month of death.

Applying for Benefits

You must apply in order to receive benefits. You may apply at any Social Security office or, if you wish, you may apply by telephone. Just dial the toll-free number 1-800-772-1213 and the operator will schedule an appointment for you or arrange for the local Social Security office to take your claim by telephone.

Social Security Teleservice - Doing Business by Telephone

You may call Social Security toll-free, 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. The number to use is 1-800-772-1213. To speak with a representative, call between the hours of 7:00am and 7:00pm on regular business days. At other times and on weekends and holidays, you may leave a message and they will call you back, in most cases, the next business day.

You may use the toll-free number to make an appointment either in a Social Security office or telephone to apply for benefits, transact other Social Security business, or just ask questions.

Veteran's Benefits

Survivors of any person who was an active or retired member of the military at time of death, or an honorably discharged veteran, could be eligible for a number of benefits, including:

An American flag (sometimes drapes the casket).


Burial in a National Cemetery.


A bronze or granite marker.


A lump sum payment of $300.00 is usually available to families of those veterans that were entitled to receive VA compensation or pension at time of death (such as retirees), or veterans who died while a registered patient in a VA hospital or other accredited VA facility. If one of these circumstance's apply and a National Cemetery is not utilized, up to $300.00 could be reimbursed as a plot or interment allowance (requires proof of payment to a non-VA cemetery. Private cemeteries usually assist you by filing this benefit in your behalf). For veterans who die of a service connected disability, the VA could pay an allowance to reimburse funeral costs of $1500.00 or less (no additional VA death benefits would be available). Active duty military personnel are usually entitled to a greater amount, which can vary.


If not remarried, the surviving spouse is eligible for burial in the National Cemetery. Dependent children of the veteran are also eligible.


Claims for Veteran's Benefits must be filed within 2 years of death by the veteran's family, a non-family member who can prove that the veteran's funeral services are paid, or the funeral director. We will be pleased to make application for these benefits on your behalf if you will provide us with the veteran's Honorable Discharge papers. For VA Assistance and Information, phone 1-800-827-1000 or visit their website at www.va.gov.