From Mr Niall Cooper
Sir, - Your report on increasing levels of funeral poverty (24 October) is timely.
Church Action on Poverty recently helped to launch a new National
Funeral Poverty Alliance, led by Quaker Social Action, which aims
to call for action by government to tackle funeral poverty as a
social justice issue; call on the funeral industry to tackle
funeral poverty as a consumer issue; and help people gain the
skills and knowledge they need to avoid funeral poverty.
Our common vision is of a society where everyone has access to a
funeral that is affordable, and doesn't leave them facing financial
hardship; is meaningful to the deceased and/or those arranging the
funeral; and allows people to grieve without further financial
distress.
The impact of funeral poverty can be financial, in the form of a
legacy of debt. It can also be emotional in the form of the
distress, shame and perceived stigma of not being able to provide a
"decent send-off". Debt, poverty, and emotional and psychological
distress also have clear health and social care implications - and
costs - for those left behind.
We are working actively with churches, the voluntary, community,
and social-enterprise sector, and the funeral industry to reduce
funeral costs while maintaining quality and standards. But we
increasingly find people questioning whether funerals should be run
as a business at all.
Seeing the whole process as a social service rather than a
purely commercial opportunity would not only potentially reduce
funeral poverty, but also allow funeral-providers to concentrate
more on the pastoral care of the bereaved. It would reduce the
health- and social-care costs caused by funeral poverty.
NIALL COOPER
Director
Church Action on Poverty
Dale House, 35 Dale Street
Manchester M1 2HF
From the Revd Margery Töller
Sir, - Tim Wyatt reports that people resort to DIY funerals for
financial reasons (News, 24 October). In my experience, people
often decide to do aspects of funerals themselves for other reasons
that are at least as important to them as reducing the cost.
For example, they find being driven to a cemetery or crematorium
by a friend in their own car much nicer than by a stranger in a
limo; having relations or friends carry the coffin of someone they
knew and loved rather than anonymous bearers can be deeply moving;
and flowers picked from one's own garden, or the garden of the
person who has died, can mean much more than florist's flowers,
etc. One of the loveliest funerals I have been to was that of a
friend whose relatively cheap, simple wicker coffin, covered in
wild flowers, was carried by her two godsons and two nephews.
Of course, it is often easier to do things in a more personal
way if you have given it some thought and done a bit of advance
planning before someone dies. Two useful websites are
goodfuneralguide.co.uk and naturaldeath.org.uk, which also gives
details of The Natural Death Handbook, an invaluable
resource.
A growing number of online funeral directors offer cheaper
funerals and great flexibility in who does what and how.
MARGERY TÖLLER
116 Augustus Road
London SW19 6EW
From Miss Primrose Peacock
Sir, - Funerals may cost what Tim Wyatt states, but he omits any
mention of funeral plans. Golden Charter and other similar
companies make it possible for anyone over 55 to buy a funeral
plan.
Payment can be made in instalments if necessary, the service,
music, flowers, eulogist, and other details all arranged in
advance. Burial is more expensive than cremation, but the whole
arrangement made with a named undertaker is politely and carefully
organised. There should not be any problems, and it is much less
expensive than Mr Wyatt suggests.
PRIMROSE PEACOCK
4 Crescent Rise, Truro
Cornwall TR1 3ER
