Funeral costs

Of course, it is extremely difficult to consider the issue of costs at such a traumatic time and you may well feel that it is the last thing you wish to think about. However, it may be helpful to have some idea of the different costs involved in organising a funeral. The aim of this section is to give an overview of the different costs you might incur and to give you information about where to turn if you need financial help. Costs vary greatly and funerals can become very expensive. However, in many instances, costs and fees are reduced or waived by professionals dealing with the death of a baby or very young child.

Funerals Organised by the Hospital
There is usually no charge made for a funeral organised by the hospital. In some instances the hospital may ask for a small administrative fee or suggest a donation. Sometimes you may, if you wish, request extra services over and above the basic hospital funeral, such as a different coffin or cars to take family members to the service. You would need to discuss your options directly with the funeral director and you may need to pay for these extra items yourselves.

Private Funerals Organised by a Funeral Director
There are two types of costs involved in organising a private funeral:

• Firstly, there are the fees charged by the funeral director for his or her own services.
• Secondly, there are disbursements paid to third parties. These include cremation and burial fees, church fees, gravediggers’ fees, flowers, newspaper announcements and doctors’ certificates. The funeral director will usually pay these fees up front and will then pass the cost on to you.

In general, most funeral directors do not charge for their own services at all, or will charge only a minimal amount, when organising a funeral for a baby or small child. However, they will usually have to pass on the disbursements to you. The funeral director should give you an idea of costs when you first meet to discuss the arrangements.

Memorials
It is difficult to estimate the cost of a memorial because it will depend on the type of stone, the size of the memorial and the amount of lettering involved. You may also need to pay the burial or church authorities a fee for placing the memorial. A memorial mason will be able to give you an estimate of the cost once you have decided on the type of memorial you would like. To find a reputable memorial mason you could contact the National Association of Memorial Masons (see resources section for contact details).

FINANCIAL HELP

Help is available from the government to cover funeral costs. This is paid from the Social Fund and the criteria used for allocating the money are strict. A maximum amount of £600 can be granted towards the funeral director’s fees. In addition, some other costs can be met including, for example, the fees paid for doctors’ certificates and the fee paid to the local crematorium. The web pages listed below give more information about who is eligible to claim this payment.
http://www.saif.org.uk/website/claiming.html
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/lifeevent/benefits/funeral_payments.htm