Mansfield Council launches scheme to help families facing funeral costs

Mansfield District Council has revealed it is set to take action to try to overcome funeral poverty and make funerals more affordable for families feeling the squeeze in the cost of living crisis. Over the past three years, the council has spent nearly £18,000 arranging simple ceremonies for people with no next of kin or where families are unable to pay for the service themselves. With more and more people facing financial hardship, the council is expecting this figure to rise in the coming year. Figures nationally show that the average funeral now costs about £4,000 which it said is leaving many families “worried about how they will afford to give a family member a respectable send-off”. A report to the council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 9 November suggested that 9% of people faced with organising a funeral, struggle to pay without taking on debt and the average debt they take on is £1,751. While less expensive funerals are possible, often people in a state of recent bereavement are not minded to shop around and can either land themselves with debt or pass responsibility for the funeral to a local authority, councillors in Mansfield were told. To help provide a third path, the council said it is hoping to move forward with the procurement of a simple funeral option which could be offered to families for under £2,000, with the possibility of add-in features for an extra price. There is help available for families in receipt of mean-tested benefits, via the Funeral Expenses Payment , but it usually does not cover the whole cost of a funeral. Cllr Andy Burgin, portfolio holder for Environment and Leisure, said: “The cost of funerals is a big problem for a growing number of people, partly because the funeral industry is unregulated with prices varying dramatically and partly because current government support for low income families facing funeral costs is inadequate and has been for years. "What this means is that, ultimately, the council picks up the costs for a growing number of families, so it makes good sense that we explore ways of making funerals more affordable.This scheme would allow us to immediately signpost families who may be struggling to where they can obtain a more affordable option which at least ensures their loved ones are given a fitting send-off but which spares them the emotional load of seeking a package they can afford at a time when they feel least able to do so."