- from www.communitylaw.org.nz (edited excerpts):
Options include:
- Funeral grant from Work and Income – If you can’t afford to pay for the funeral or tangihanga, you may be able to get up to $2,093 from Work and Income to cover the cost, including for preparing the body (for example, embalming), the coffin, newspaper notices, the hearse, and the costs of the burial plot or cremation. For more information, see www.workandincome.govt.nz/products/a-z-benefits/funeral-grant.html.
- Funeral grant from ACC – If death was the result of an accident, ACC will pay a funeral grant of up to $6,311. Contact ACC, or you can apply online (at www.acc.co.nz/im-injured/financial-support/financial-support-after-death).
Māori may be able to get a grant for tangihanga from their iwi organisation. Māori can also seek tangihanga funding from Maori land trusts or organisations in which they (or the deceased) have an interest (see the chapter “Māori land”, under “Methods of managing Māori land: Trusts, incorporations, and reservations”). To find out about other possible sources of support, contact Te Puni Kōkiri or your local marae or Māori church.