Funeral Cost

[hardy49]

My brother passed away on Saturday. He had no funeral plan and we are very worried as we are pensioners and do not have the means to pay for a funeral. Can you help please ?

[Khandro]

// Can you help please ?//

In what way

[AuntPollyGrey]

Contact your local council or explain your situation to his GP or the people holding his body at the moment. You do not have to have a funeral, his body can be cremated without a service and grants are available but hae to be asked for.

[woofgang]

No one has to pay for someone else's funeral. Don't commit to anything and contact your local council IMMEDIATELY

[maggiebee]

Agree with what has already been said. Contact your local council and explain the situation. You are not responsible for the funeral costs so please don't worry about it. A simple cremation would probably be arranged. Take care.

[MartinMillar]

There are grants available

[bobbinwales]

Sorry to hear that. You dont after pay or even organise it - the council will organise it if necessry . Will there be any estate or did he have any wife/children??

[roopower]

I'm sorry your brother has died. If you get any benefits you may be able to get help. Can you go to www.gov.uk funeral expenses. I think you may have to pay the money back out of your brothers estate.

[bednobs]

btw if you refuse and there is no-one else the council will dispose of him for you, but there is no service allowed.
Did he have any money or assets? They can be used to pay for the funeral and the council will expect that to happen.

[bednobs]

also, if the council dispose it can take a long time

[woofgang]

bobbin, not only do they not have to organise it, if the council is to pay, they MUST NOT organise it or agree to anything.

[ToraToraTora]

just refuse to pay, there is nothing they can do.

[barry1010]

Family and friends can attend the funeral if the council pays. Typically, these 'paupers funerals' take place early morning because those times are the least popular. The council will not pay for transport for the mourners and if you want flowers you will have to pay for them yourself. Usually a cremation but a burial may be in a shared grave, no headstone will be provided.

[bednobs]

I think it depends where you are barry - some councils do not let families attend

[ummmm]

You have to pay for your own flowers anyway!!

[brainiac]

https://www.gov.uk/funeral-payments

[barry1010]

Ummm, usually people pay for their own flowers but a grant for the people on low income does give an allowance for flowers.

[barry1010]

bednobs, I'd be very interested to know of the councils that don't allow mourners.

[bednobs]

i don't know barry - ive never been involved with one, but was just reading the internet
Can you attend a pauper's funeral?
This depends on the policy of the local council organising the funeral. Often, you are able to attend a pauper's funeral. However, as it will be a basic cremation, there will only be a short service. If not immediately available, councils will usually do their best to locate family or friends for the service and failing this, members of the council may attend as a mark of respect.

Every council will have its own policy regarding 'Public Health' or pauper's funerals, so specific details such as the services provided will differ between authorities.

[barry1010]

It would be very cruel for a council to refuse mourners at a funeral just because they can't afford to pay for it

[Buenchico]

Just to fill in a bit on what's above . . .

Section 46(1) of the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 states: "It shall be the duty of a local authority to cause to be buried or cremated the body of any person who has died or been found dead in their area, in any case where it appears to the authority that no suitable arrangements for the disposal of the body have been or are being made otherwise than by the authority.

The foregoing applies irrespective of the wealth, or otherwise, of either the deceased or his/her family or friends. So if, for example, someone like Richard Branson was to die, his family would be perfectly entitled to turn to the local authority and say, "We're not arranging a funeral. You'll have to do it".

However, so that everyone doesn't simply hand over funeral arrangements to the relevant local authority, Section 46(5) of the Act enables the local authority to recover the costs of the funeral from the estate of the deceased. Importantly though, if there's not enough money in the estate to cover the full costs of the funeral, the local authority must bear the remainder of the costs themselves. (i.e. they can't send a bill to the relatives of the deceased although, of course, there's nothing to prevent them simply asking for a contribution).

A local authority would normally choose cremation, rather than interment, simply because it's usually the cheaper option. However Section 46(3) of the Act states: "An authority shall not cause a body to be cremated . . . where they have reason to believe that cremation would be contrary to the wishes of the deceased"

Local authorities have a certain amount of discretion as to the way that they meet their legal obligations under such circumstances but the Government has laid down a code of good practice, which they will generally adhere to:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-health-funerals-good-practice-guidance/public-health-funerals-good-practice-guidance

It's important to note though that local authorities can only arrange a public health funeral 'from start to finish'. They can't take over any arrangements which have already been put in place by someone else.

See also here:
https://www.funeralguide.co.uk/help-resources/arranging-a-funeral/what-is-a-paupers-funeral-public-health-funerals-explained