€4.7m in state aid given to families for funerals

By Conall O Fátharta

Monday, September 28, 2009

AN increasing number of bereaved families are seeking state assistance to help pay for funerals as a result of the recession.

The Department ofSocial and Family Affairs spent more than €4.7 million on funeral and burial costs under the exceptional needs payment (ENP) scheme last year, an increase of almost €1m on 2006.

To the end of August of this year, the spend by the department was almost €3.6m. However, this figure is expected to rise to more than €5m by the end of the year.

Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance Scheme (SWA), which is administered on behalf of the Department of Social and Family Affairs by the Community Welfare Service division of the HSE, payments may be made to help meet an essential one-off cost which a person is unable to pay.

There is no automatic entitlement to the payment and each application isdetermined by the community welfare service based on the particular circumstances of the case.

The average funeral expenses payment is €1,426 while the average burial payment is €1,817.

There are a number of schemes within the social welfare system to help families in dealing with death and funeral costs.

A bereavement grant based on PRSI contributions is one such scheme. It amounts to €850.

According to the Irish Association of FuneralDirectors, the average cost of a funeral ranges from €3,000 to €6,000, with headstones ranging between €1,000 and €7,000.

Spokesman for Money, Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) Michael Culloty said the issue of people struggling to pay bills for funerals has always been a problem.

"It’s something we have always noted because of the costs involved. These costs come at a very vulnerable time in people’s lives," said Mr Culloty.

This story appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Monday, September 28, 2009