Province backtracks on cuts to funeral services for the poor

Saskatchewan Social Services Minister Tina Beaudry-Mellor says the provincial government made a mistake when it cut funeral services for poor people.

Funeral services for people on social assistance were cut from $3,850 to $2,100 in the March budget in a bid to save the cashstrapped province $1 million.

The government said as of July 1, it would cover basic preparation of a body, transfers, a standard casket or urn, and regulatory fees, but families would have to foot the bill for viewings or other services.

Beaudry-Mellor backtracked Monday and said the government will pay up to $700 more for funeral services or rituals — on top of the $2,100 — when requested by next of kin.

“There’s no question that providing a very prescriptive response to this issue in the $2,100 that didn’t include a service was a mistake and I think what you see today is an attempt to correct that,” she said.

Beaudry-Mellor said the correction means a savings of $400,000 instead of $1 million for the province as it tackles a $1.3-billion deficit. She said savings would have to be found in other parts of the Ministry of Social Services.

The Funeral Service Association of Canada wrote a public letter to Beaudry-Mellor saying that the proposal to reduce funeral costs to $2,100 is not only insufficient to cover the required elements of a funeral, it’s discriminatory. The association wrote that “funeral services and memorial rituals are an important part of the grieving process, one that should not be overlooked.”

Beaudry-Mellor said she got those messages.

“I was hearing that obviously, as well,” she said. “And so this policy change is a desire to address that concern ... . ”

The government also says it will provide up $700 for embalming if needed and an additional $925 for cremation fees.

However, the government is cutting mileage rates for travel for funeral homes to match the rates of the Public Service Commission. Beaudry-Mellor said she met with representatives from the funeral service industry Monday and they’re upset about the mileage decision.

The Saskatchewan Board of Funeral Homes welcomed the backtrack but said it still “leaves the industry providing services at a significant loss.”

“We are relieved to see that the government has recognized that viewings and funeral services are a common choice when making end of life arrangements and we are glad that we were able to encourage that small change,” the statement added, calling the move “a first step in the right direction.”