§ Mr. John CarlisleTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if the provision of a funeral bond certificate purchased to provide a funeral service on death is counted as an asset for the purposes of assessing means-tested social security benefits. [12598]
§ Mr. Roger EvansA funeral bond will be treated as a capital asset unless it takes the form of life assurance or it cannot be redeemed by the person for whom it has been acquired. However, a funeral bond which would otherwise be disregarded in assessing benefit may still be treated as capital if it was purchased with the intention of securing benefit or increasing the amount of benefit payable.