Bodies go unburied under Labour

Due to government delays in releasing funds, undertakers and funeral directors are being forced to postpone the burial of bodies for weeks (two months in one case in Shrewsbury).

While normally undertakers cover the costs of a funeral and are then reimbursed by the government, the poor availability of credit in the financial system, coupled with foot-dragging by the Department for Work and Pensions, has led to burials for needy families having to be postponed.

Funeral directors estimate that the burials of hundreds of bodies are being delayed. While the normal gap between death and burial is about ten days, the current Government stance means it can be more like five weeks and sometimes much longer.

Families qualify for funeral funding if they are receiving benefits, were closely related to the deceased and finally do not have sufficient savings to meet the funeral costs. If eligible, they receive funeral costs up to £700, plus additional sums averaging around £1,000. At the moment, about 27,000 people claim a total of £46 million for burials every year.

In this current situation there are no winners. Hard-working funeral directors who are already feeling the pinch of the credit crunch are, in contrast to usual practice, having to refuse to undertake funerals without first receiving payment. At the same time, the friends and family of the deceased are having to suffer the indignity their loved ones remaining unburied while the Government dithers about making funeral payments.

Daniel described how one of his constituents, Mr Clive Pugh, a Shrewsbury funeral director, is still waiting to bury a 77 year old man who died on August 13th. The application by his family to the Department for Work and Pensions was made on August 18th, but was not cleared until October 9th - when Daniel personally intervened on their behalf.

Daniel said, "the funeral will finally take place on Friday - nearly nine weeks after his death. Such is the state of public finances under Labour: we are now in the situation where the dead are not being buried.

"There urgently needs to be a review of the speed at which funds are attainable from the social fund as well as the amount available. I have requested a Westminster Hall debate on this issue and have also tabled a Parliamentary Question."

He concluded, "the current lack of action by the Government on this matter is unforgivable".

23rd October 2008


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