A recently released report by Royal London found that the year started positively with the number of people who struggle to meet the cost of a funeral reducing from 12% last year to 9% this year*.
However, Covid-19 and the subsequent lockdown has disrupted this trend and continues to do so as John Halliday – co-founder of charity run funeral directors Caledonia Cremation – explains: “The funeral restrictions implemented during lockdown did lead to simpler funerals. However, many still felt the financial strain upon losing a loved one. The average cost of a basic cremation in Scotland is still high – £3,569 and cremation fees continue to rise higher than inflation.
“We must also consider the wider impact of Covid-19. Lockdown and restrictions have resulted in significant job losses which has meant more people entering the lower income bracket.
“Support services such as the Department of Social Security and the Register of Deaths department have also been stretched which has provided even more barriers to support for the bereaved.
“Also, organisations who were campaigning to improve the industry have stalled because of Covid-19. The Competitions and Market Authority were set to recommend remedies to ongoing issues which have contributed to funeral poverty – overpricing or confusing pricing by some in the funeral industry. But Covid has meant that they have had to put this on hold.
All these factors have created a desperate situation for bereaved people in Scotland, especially those from low-income households.
“The recently released Royal London report* has found that around two in five bereaved people surveyed (39%) said that Covid-19 has made their financial situation worse (with 13% saying it has got much worse, and 25% saying slightly worse).
“During the lockdown, we too have had to have extended our support by launching a free emotional support helpline in addition to offering not-for-profit cremations. Due to the delays in some Government departments, we also absorbed the administration on behalf of our clients so they could grieve without the additional stress.”
Caledonia Cremation supported one Edinburgh client who felt the real impact of the Covid-19.
As lockdown had a devastating impact on the tourism industry, Mical lost her job at an airline. Shortly afterwards, her grandmother and father passed away in quick succession.
She explained: “I had only just lost my job when my grandmother passed away from Covid. I hadn’t had the chance to apply for benefits, so I didn’t qualify for any for any financial help.
“Luckily, I found Caledonia Cremation who cremated my grandmother using funds I managed to collect from the whole family. Then my father was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
“Shortly after the diagnosis he caught Covid and passed away. I once again turned to Caledonia Cremation who helped me apply for the Funeral Support Payment to cover the cost of that cremation.
“Without Caledonia Cremation,I honestly don’t know what I would’ve done. I think that the only alternative would have been to get into thousands of pounds of debt, and maybe try and arrange some sort of payment plan which could take a long time to clear, especially as I am currently unemployed.”
As more job losses are predicted, John is urging everyone to reconsider before taking out a loan to pay for their loved one’s funeral: ““We have been fighting funeral poverty in Scotland since 2018 by providing not-for-profit cremations and practical and emotional support.
“Since we started, we have calculated that we have saved bereaved Scots over £1million in funeral costs. We believe this has sparked a revolution in funerals with more Scottish funeral directors providing affordable options and more transparent pricing.
“With the continuing Covid restrictions still affecting people’s financial situation, we urge any bereaved people to know they aren’t alone. If they need support during these terrible times – get in touch and we will help.”
* The Impact of Covid-19 on Funerals – National Funeral Cost Index Report 2020 by Royal London
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