Frequently Asked Questions

A member has died.  What should we do?

Call the funeral home the member has selected.  They will have the member’s wishes and personal data on file.   Members may have a wallet sized card naming the selected funeral home. 

If you can’t find the name of their selected funeral home, call FCAWP at 412-241-0705.  We will search our database for their selected funeral home.

The funeral home that we registered with has closed or is no longer a participating funeral home.

When a participating funeral home closes or stops participating with FCAWP, records generally are transferred to the nearest participating funeral home with similar prices, unless the member selects a different funeral home.

Call FCAWP at 412-241-0705.  We will provide you with the updated participating funeral home list.

We have no money.  Can you help us?  What shall we do?

FCAWP does not have funds available to pay for funerals the survivors cannot afford.  If arrangements have not yet been made, we can help with information on how to shop for affordable funeral arrangements.

Generally, the least expensive funeral is cremation with no services at the funeral home.  Cremation can be followed by an inexpensive gathering at a home, church, community center, park, or anywhere the survivors feel comfortable.  Cremains do not have to be buried, and in Pennsylvania can be scattered anywhere with permission of the property owner.  An expensive urn is never required.

 See Paying for Funerals, Next of Kin Insufficient Funds.

The survivors might consider donating the body through the Humanity Gifts Registry for medical education and research.  This is generally less expensive than cremation or burial and Humanity Gifts Registry will pay the funeral home $100 toward transporting the body. 

For more information, visit their website or contact them by phone, 215-922-4440 • M-F 8-3pm.

Governmental Funeral/Burial Benefits: 

Social Security (if the member is entitled) will contribute $255 toward funeral expenses.  

Pa Department of Human Services.  Persons receiving Social Security Supplemental Income (SSI) and Persons living on Pennsylvania Cash Assistance are eligible for funeral expenses.  For more Information visit: Pa Dept of Human Services. Eligibility for assistance with burial costs is determined by the local County Assistance Offices. To find your local office click here: CAO.

The Veterans Administration will provide a free plot and marker for veterans.  Call the VA if deceased was a veteran.  See How to Pay for Funerals tab of this web page for more information.

NOTE:  Funeral directors are all aware of the Social Security, Pa Department of Human Services and VA benefits and will assist families in obtaining benefits.  See below We Can’t Afford to Pay for a Funeral question below for agencies that can assist.

Who to contact for an Unclaimed Body:

Call the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office, 412-350-4800 who handles disposition when there are no family members or friends able/available to handle funeral arrangements.  The body is then considered unclaimed.

We can’t afford to pay for a funeral for a deceased family member, what do we do?

Allegheny County does not provide an indigent burial program.  The following agencies may provide assistance and recommendations regarding interment

Catholic Charities/St. Vincent DePaul Pittsburgh:  412-321-1071

Jewish Cemetery & Burial Association of Greater Pittsburgh: 412-553-6460

Allegheny County Veterans Services –  Pittsburgh:  412-621-4357

A member has died and we don’t know which funeral home to call.

Call for assistance 412-241-0705                                                                                          

What is FCAWP all about; how does it operate?          

There is a one-time membership fee (suggested donation–no annual dues) of $50 for the first individual and $25 for each additional member in a family (spouses or partners and children under 18—or older if still dependent by IRS rules).  After you join, members register with one of the participating funeral homes, which offer affordable prices for cremation or simple burial.  

FCAWP is also a consumer advocacy and educational organization and will provide speakers on request.  

I am leaving the area.  Can I transfer membership?

Yes. FCAWP affiliates offer membership transfer free or for a nominal fee.  Refer to Funeral Consumers Alliance directory and supply name and address of nearest society for their new address.  The most recent directory of FCAs in the U.S. is at www.funerals.org.

I am moving to Western PA.  Can I transfer membership from my old FWCA?

Yes.  Ask your old FCA to send a letter or e-mail us at info@funeralconsumerswpa.org with your name and new address to FCAWP confirming your membership and requesting transfer.  FCAWP will send the necessary forms.  There is a $10 per person fee for members transferring in from another FCA or Memorial Society.

I have lost my membership card or want to change funeral director or arrangements.

Call 412-241-0705 or send email to info@funeralconsumerswpa.org and request needed forms.  There is a $10 per person fee for changing funeral homes or registering new arrangements.  You  may send a check with the completed forms. 

Do you have a funeral director that does Jewish funerals?

As a rabbi once said, it is not the funeral home but the service that is Jewish.   Any funeral home can conduct a Jewish funeral.  However, some might be more familiar with the process than others:

         D’Alessandro Funeral Home

         Brandt Funeral Home

Ralph Schugar Funeral Home (not a participating FCAWP funeral home)

An out-of-town visitor has died and is a member of a memorial society elsewhere.  

If it is a direct cremation, it would be best to work with a funeral home here and ship the cremains.  We will assist you calling one of our participating funeral homes.  Call 412-241-0705.

If the person who has died preferred a burial, better to talk to the Funeral Consumers Alliance Affiliate/Memorial Society.  Call us at 412-241-0705 to connect you to that affiliate in another state.