Funeral

[barry1010]

Bizarre question driven by curiosity. Two people house share but are not related or partners. One becomes ill, dies at home and doesn't need a post mortem. GP attends and signs relevant documents confirming death.
He has no family. The other does not want the cost or responsibility of arranging the funeral. If the dead man has no assets the council will pay but the body is still in the house. How does it get removed and where to? As far as I know if the surviving housemate calls an undertaker to remove the body he will be responsible for the funeral. Anyone know?

[barry1010]

Thank you, NJ. In my experience the council do take full advantage of the three years allowed to track family members and demand payment. I wasn't sure how willing they would be to arrange the collection of a body when the deceased didn't live alone

[ToraToraTora]

Judge, hypothetically if next of kin simply refuse to pay for body disposal, storage etc is there anything the council can do? I've heard that in reality no one actually ever has to pay for a funeral, it's just that people are guilt tripped into it.

[ToraToraTora]

barry: "In my experience the council do take full advantage of the three years allowed to track family members and demand payment." - yes, related to my point above. Have they actually got any legal way to force payment out of a relative?

[barry1010]

No, they haven't, TTT. Nobody is legally bound to take on the responsibility of arranging and paying for a funeral, the only legal obligation is not to prevent the lawful burial or cremation.
Next of kin have to sign a statement saying they are not prepared to pay but the council will guilt trip, especially before the funeral takes place - they have more leverage

[THECORBYLOON]

Councils don't have to trace the next-of-kin but they are advised to make attempts.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-health-funerals-good-practice-guidance/public-health-funerals-good-practice-guidance#introduction

[barry1010]

Of course the council will take the costs from the deceased's assets - if he has any.

[THECORBYLOON]

They are not obliged to recover the costs.

[Paigntonian]

I have been told that you can take a body to the crem yourself and they'll charge you £80. Not sure if it's true.

[barry1010]

Don't know where you live, Paign but you can check the cost on your council website. Here it is cheapest to have the cremation first thing in the morning as very few people want that time slot. Last time I looked it was around £700. But yes, you can arrange to DIY and take the body to the crem yourself.

[barry1010]

Just checked again - it is now £930

[ToraToraTora]

also there is a myriad of firms now doing basic body disposal for less than a grand. Personally I prefer that, you don't need all the cobras of a service etc. I'd rather the money was spent on a decent peace up and every one can get drunk, remember me and say nice things there! Err indoors and I have both agreed on that approach and she has emailed all our relatives so they don't think it's me being a skinflint, I'm doing the same!

[barry1010]

Good for you, TTT. I hope the council can use those services if it saves them money. I don't suppose it will, though, as they own the local crematoria but they could skip the service and save on the minister

[barry1010]

The Co-Op charges £1313 for a direct cremation in England and Wales but that does include doctors' fees of £164

[Barmaid]

There is no legal way to force payment out of a relative - unless that relative has inherited the estate.

If there is no estate, relatives CANNOT be forced to pay by the Council.