Bereaved parents in the UK spared children’s burial and cremation costs
5082 Mins Read
Families grieving the tragic loss of a child will no longer have to meet the costs of their burial or cremation, as a result of a new government scheme set up to provide financial help.
Every year in England an estimated 3,800 children die under the age of 18, and there are a further 2,700 stillbirths. Bereaved parents can find themselves facing bills of thousands of pounds for burial or cremation fees which can vary widely across the country.
The Children’s Funeral Fund (CFF) will bring an end to this uncertainty and provide bereaved parents with valuable practical support at a very difficult time. The scheme aims to reduce the financial burden for families by reimbursing burial authorities, cremation authorities and funeral directors directly.
The fund will be available regardless of the family’s income, and will also include a contribution towards the cost of a coffin.
The news comes after Prime Minister Theresa May last year pledged to abolish children’s burial and cremation fees, and follows a cross-party campaign led by Swansea East MP Carolyn Harris after the tragic death of her 8 year old son, Martin.
Under the fund arrangements, no bereaved family will have to pay the fees charged for a child’s cremation or burial or for a number of prescribed associated expenses.
The fund provides for burial authorities and cremation authorities to apply to government for the reimbursement of the fees which would otherwise be charged for the provision of the burial or cremation of an eligible child.
It also provides for funeral directors to apply for reimbursement of certain associated expenses, including a £300 contribution towards the price of a coffin.
If the person responsible for organising the burial or cremation chooses not to use a funeral director but makes the funeral arrangements themselves, they will be able to claim directly for those expenses from the fund.
The only conditions for the scheme are that the child is under 18 at the time of death or is stillborn after the 24th week of pregnancy, and that the burial or cremation takes place in England.
