I really hope you never need this information.
I recently helped a family whose family member was killed in a single-vehicle crash in New South Wales. Already reeling from the shock, their grief was instantly compounded by a secondary trauma: the realisation that they couldn’t afford a funeral. Out of desperation, they were considering launching a public appeal among the man’s friends just to cover the costs, unaware of the financial support meant to protect them from that exact burden.
Fortunately, I was able to step in and direct them to SIRA – the State Insurance Regulatory Authority. You see, the Compulsory Third Party (CTP) Green Slip insurance scheme can cover reasonable funeral expenses in NSW. This may include costs for things like a funeral director, the service (including cremation or burial), coffin, mourning car, cemetery plot, flowers, newspaper notice, and death certificate.
I was incredibly frustrated to learn that this family’s funeral director failed to advise them on available financial assistance. It is a provider’s fundamental duty to know these resources inside and out. Instead, their lack of guidance left a grieving family entirely in the dark, needlessly compounding an already heartbreaking situation.
Fault
When it comes to making a claim for assistance, in some states, the person who caused the crash needs to be determined. All states and territories have similar funeral assistance schemes, but some care who caused the accident. They won’t pay out if the driver/rider was at fault, or may only pay a reduced amount if the driver was partly to blame.
Some states will also fund services like counselling, compensation for emotional distress, and financial support for dependents or spouses.
Each state has different rules about funeral benefits eligibility.
NEW SOUTH WALES – provides ‘no-fault’ benefits for funeral expenses for three months after the accident, regardless of blame, up to a reasonable market rate. More info: https://www.sira.nsw.gov.au/resources-library/motor-accident-resources/publications/injury-advice-centre/ctp-green-slip-insurance-can-cover-funeral-expenses
VICTORIA – ditto. The Traffic Accident Commission (TAC) also provides ‘no-fault’ benefits. Info here: https://www.tac.vic.gov.au/what-to-do-after-an-accident/how-to-claim/when-someone-dies
SOUTH AUSTRALIA – you may lodge a claim if the person killed was not solely responsible for causing the accident. Yes, SA looks at fault. More info: https://www.ctp.sa.gov.au/for-injured-people/who-can-claim/fatality-claims
QUEENSLAND also looks at fault. So, if the driver who died was found to be drunk or not wearing a seatbelt, for example, the CTP insurer might refuse to cover the funeral expenses. https://maic.qld.gov.au/for-injured-people/what-you-can-claim/
Under WESTERN AUSTRALIA’s Fatal Accidents Act of 1959, the Insurance Commission of WA requires you to prove fault. If the deceased wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, for example, they might be found partly at fault. If that happens, any financial support could be refused or reduced. https://www.icwa.wa.gov.au/motor-injury-insurance/make-an-injury-claim/eligibility-to-claim-for-a-motor-injury
TASMANIA has a fault-free process. That is, you don’t have to prove who caused the accident to be able to make a claim with the Motor Accidents Insurance Board (MAIB). https://maib.tas.gov.au/when-someone-is-fatally-injured
In the NORTHERN TERRITORY, it doesn’t matter who was at fault. The Motor Accidents Compensation Act allows for funeral expenses to be covered up to a point. The MAC Scheme covers expenses up to a maximum of the cost of the funeral or 5.2 times the average weekly earnings (whichever is the lesser amount). In 2026, that works out to be around $10K. https://www.ntmacc.com.au/after-an-accident/when-a-family-member-dies/funeral-expenses
In the AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY, you don’t have to show who was at fault to receive funeral benefits, but you do have to if you’re claiming benefits to support the dead person’s dependents. A claim may be denied if the person killed was determined to have broken the law. Find more info here: https://www.treasury.act.gov.au/maic/make-an-mai-application/who-is-eligible-for-the-mai-scheme
A road death interstate
State and territories have different rules if the accident happened in a vehicle registered in another state. For example, if an at-fault accident happened in WA and the car was registered in another state, you may not be able to make a claim through the Insurance Commission of WA. However, you may be able to claim benefits in the person’s home state.
Depending on the state, funeral payments can vary from $10,000 to $20,000 and death benefits payable to dependents can be in the tens of thousands of dollars (and six figures in some states). Plus, some states will fund travel expenses for a family member to make funeral arrangements.
Time frames and payment
The time limits to make a claim vary from state to state, too. Some are three months, some nine months, some three years. The claim processes are straightforward. (The links above will lead you to the forms.) Sometimes the funeral director is paid directly by the insurance provider, or, if you’ve already paid, they’ll reimburse you once you provide the receipt.
In summary, some states and territories operate on a no-fault basis. The family does not need to prove another driver was negligent to have their person’s funeral costs covered. (Vic, TAS, NT, ACT and NSW). However, in WA, SA and Qld, funeral benefits may be refused or reduced if the person who died was at fault. The vehicle involved needs to have been registered at the time of the accident, and the crash must have happened on a registered road (so, not on private property, for example).
Either way, it’s worth a call to your state’s traffic insurance departments. Ask your funeral director too. And if they don’t know about these schemes, perhaps find another funeral director. What else don’t they know?
