Pauper funerals cost the council around £6000

STEPHEN BARK

Almost £6000 was spent on public health funerals by South Lanarkshire Council last year.

Figures released this month revealed there were 13 public health funerals in the region in 2018-19.

In total, the council spent just £5850 on funerals for residents whose family were unable or unwilling to arrange and pay for a funeral or the deceased had no traceable family.

The average cost of a public health funeral in South Lanarkshire was £450, compared to a UK average of £1507.

South Lanarkshire’s head of facilities, waste and grounds services, Alistair McKinnon, explained that local authorities have a duty to ensure a funeral for some of the most vulnerable in society.

He said: “Local authorities have a statutory obligation to provide a funeral for any person who dies within their geographical boundary if there are no funds to pay for a funeral.

“When we are contacted by anyone to advise that a family member has no funds to cover the cost of a funeral, we signpost them to the new Funeral Support Payment which is a one off payment to help people on low income benefits with a contribution towards the cost of a funeral.

“This replaces the Department for Work and Pension’s Funeral Expenses Payment in Scotland.

“This new payment was launched on September 16, 2019.

“If a family are not eligible for the funeral support payment the local authority can then act as the applicant for the deceased funeral.

“The vast majority are cremations however any particular request where deceased may have advised that they would rather have a burial rather than a cremation, this can be accommodated.”

Across the UK, £6.3 million was spent on public health funerals which are also known as pauper funerals.

Two in five (38 per cent) public health funerals were carried out by councils because the deceased had no family, making it the most common reason. The second most common reason was that the deceased’s family were unable to pay for the funeral (29 per cent).

Louise Eaton-Terry, funeral cost expert at Royal London, added: “Councils are continuing to take on the increasing cost of public health funerals for individuals who, sadly, have no family.

“The research also shows that families who are unable to afford the cost of a funeral for their loved one are turning to their local council for help.

“Whilst each council has a duty to arrange a funeral in these circumstances, it’s interesting to see the difference in spend on public health funerals by local authorities across the UK.

“Some councils are going above and beyond arranging a simple funeral while others do not allow families to attend the funeral.”

And she added: “This is why we are calling for legislation on minimum standards for public health funerals to ensure everyone can, at the very least, attend the funeral and collect their loved one’s ashes.”