How to Request Cremation or Burial Assistance in Brevard
Call the county before signing with a funeral home; a signed contract can make the case ineligible.
Start here
Call Brevard County Community Action at 321-633-1951 to schedule an eligibility appointment before making a binding funeral arrangement. The county says its indigent cremation program is for a Brevard resident with no relatives or resources able to pay, applies household financial rules, and currently provides up to $550 under strict total-cost and other-assistance limits.
What to have in front of you
- Information and records identifying the deceased and confirming Brevard residency
- Picture ID for adult household members
- Social Security cards for household members and birth certificates for children under 18, as requested
- Three months of household bank statements and income verification
- Names and contact information for known relatives and available estate, insurance, veteran, burial, or other resources
What to say when someone answers
“A Brevard resident has died and relatives cannot pay for final arrangements. Before anyone signs a funeral-home contract, I need an indigent cremation eligibility appointment and the current document list, cost limit, and participating-vendor steps.”
Small but useful: Write down the person’s name, the date, the exact next step, and when you should call again.
Do this in order
- 1
Call the Community Action Office before signing any contract. The county specifically says eligibility must be determined first.
- 2
Gather the complete household and deceased-person documents requested for the appointment. Explain the relative and resource situation accurately.
- 3
Ask whether any life insurance, estate funds, prepaid plan, veteran benefit, or assistance from another agency affects eligibility. The county says another cremation-assistance program cannot be combined with this one.
- 4
If approved, choose a funeral home willing to work within the county process and price limit. Do not agree to upgrades expecting the county to pay the difference.
What happens next
The county determines eligibility and coordinates with a willing funeral home. Its current page says payment to the funeral home generally takes two to three weeks and the total funeral expense cannot exceed the county-assistance amount.
If the first answer doesn’t solve it
Ask for the written reason and any coroner, Social Security, VA, nonprofit, or low-cost provider referrals that may apply. If no one is legally able to act, ask the county what public process handles the deceased rather than signing personal financial responsibility.
Official sources
Checked August 4, 2026. Programs, hours, funding, and waitlists can change. Confirm details directly before relying on them.