Desperate families can’t afford funerals for loved ones
DESPERATE families are asking friends and kind-hearted strangers for money as they attempt to pay thousands of pounds for the funeral of a loved one.
South Shields MP Emma Lewell Buck said there had been a 400% increase in the number of appeals for funds on website Justgiving.
The site is used to raise money for good causes, such as medical treatment which is not available on the NHS.
And this increasingly includes families hit by bills of thousands of pounds for a funeral which they simply can’t afford.
Leading a debate in the House of Commons, Ms Lewell-Buck said: “When families can’t afford funerals, around a quarter of them borrow from friends or relatives... some even sell their belongings.
“People are turning to internet and crowdfunding websites to pay for funerals.”
She added: “I cannot imagine having to seek support from strangers on a faceless website to pay for a funeral for a loved one.”
An investigation by the Chronicle found a number of appeals for help with funeral costs on the Justgiving website.
An appeal from a church successfully raised £2,000 for a man whose partner had died.
He had been told he was not eligible for a grant from the Government because he was not her next of kin.
Another appeal raised £2,912 for the funeral of a 12-year-old girl.
Ms Lewell-Buck, a Labour MP, has been campaigning for the Government to offer more help for people hit by funeral costs they cannot afford.
The MP called on the Government to work with the funeral industry to ensure that simple funeral services were available at a reasonable cost.
Her campaign took a step forward when Work and Pensions Minister Justin Tomlinson said he would meet her and other concerned MPs. And she received support from MPs of all parties during the debate.