Do I get the funeral allowance if I paid for the funeral from the deceased's account?

The allowance goes to the person who bore the funeral costs from their own funds. The deceased's money is recovered on a different track: an application to the bank for reimbursement of documented funeral costs from their account. The two routes are not combined for the same expenses.

Two different routes to the same money

The funeral allowance from ZUS is a benefit for the person who covered the funeral costs. The key word is covered. The basis is your outlay, not the fact that you organised the funeral.

Reimbursement of funeral costs from the deceased’s account is a separate mechanism. The bank refunds costs incurred against presented invoices, before succession matters conclude. It requires no court order and no consent from the other heirs.

Both routes are lawful. The problem starts only when you try to take both for the same invoice.

Why paying with the deceased’s card is a bad idea

The account agreement expires on death, and every power of attorney expires with it, not when the bank is notified. A card that still works does not mean you are allowed to use it. A withdrawal in that situation is disposing of someone else’s property, and when the estate is settled the other heirs will see the transaction on the statement.

How to arrange it without trouble

1. Pay the funeral costs from your own funds and keep the invoices issued in your name.
2. Apply to ZUS for the funeral allowance.
3. If you want to recover part of the cost from the deceased’s assets, apply to the bank for reimbursement of funeral costs, presenting the invoices the allowance did not cover.

That order leaves a clear paper trail: who paid, from what, and what was refunded.