Lindesay Mace from Quaker Social Action outlines their latest work to help people with funeral costs
Bereavement can be a deeply challenging experience. In the last three years, two people close to me have died, both quite suddenly, and the impact was profound. I experienced brain fog; difficulties concentrating at work; sudden floods of tears in the street; a loss of appetite; difficulty sleeping; and feelings of anger and guilt.
It was tough, but it could have been so much worse. I wasn’t responsible for organising the funerals, nor did I have to manage that while worrying about how on earth I would pay for them.
But thousands of people across the UK are in that position every year and at Down to Earth, the only UK-wide funeral costs support service, we hear their heartbreaking stories every day.
Two of these stories, bravely shared on video by our clients Sue and Susan, are at the heart of our new campaign, Grief is Hard Enough: Fix the FEP.
Soaring costs and an inadequate safety net
It’s not uncommon for a funeral with mourners present to cost upwards of £4,000 – but what if you don’t have the funds? Even the simplest option, a direct cremation that takes place with no mourners present, generally costs between £1,000 and £2,000.
That is a sum far out of reach for thousands of people. The Funeral Expenses Payment (FEP) provides vital financial support with funeral costs and is aimed at people in England and Wales who are in receipt of a “qualifying benefit” (any income-related benefit like Universal Credit). However, the eligibility rules are very narrow and don’t reflect real life, leaving thousands of people who are receiving a qualifying benefit without this help and struggling with funeral costs.
People are going deep into debt and cutting back on essentials like food – all to try to afford a funeral for their family member or friend.
It doesn't have to be this way - take action with us
In 2017, the Scottish Government committed to tackling funeral poverty and it has taken some significant steps forward. Scotland’s Funeral Support Payment, introduced in 2019, takes a more flexible, compassionate approach and it’s estimated that 40% more people can access it compared to the FEP.
Our campaign Grief is Hard Enough: Fix the FEP calls on the Government to align the FEP criteria with Scotland’s payment and, to build pressure, we are calling on the public to write to their MPs about it.
The campaign, launched at the start of November, has had a brilliant start: we are already in double figures for people taking action and we also know of two supporters who have had responses from their MPs, one of whom has offered a meeting.
Help us keep up the momentum by visiting our campaign page for full details of how to write to your MP.
Grief is hard enough: It’s time to Fix the FEP.
Lindesay Mace is co-manager of Down to Earth, a project run by anti-poverty charity Quaker Social Action. It is the only UK-wide project that works to ensure everyone has access to an affordable, meaningful funeral. Thousands of people each year
access our large suite of online resources on reducing funeral costs and raising funds towards them, and our national helpline assists hundreds of people a year who need tailored support.
Church Action on Poverty worked with Quaker Social Action and others on this issue some years ago. See more on our previous work here.
