Families forced to pay funeral costs by instalment
Some grieving families in Galway are under such financial pressure that they have to pay for the funerals of loved ones by instalment and cannot even afford a cup of tea for mourners.
Speaking in the Dáil last week, Independent Deputy for Galway West, Noel Grealish, said the decision by the Government to axe the Bereavement Grant – €850 paid towards the cost of a funeral – was the “harshest” measure in the Budget.
Deputy Grealish made his comments during a debate on the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill, saying the ‘devil is in the detail’ of that Bill, after the Budget.
He told Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton that the average cost of a funeral in Galway is between €3,000 and €4,000, and people already struggled to meet this cost.
“Of all the issues in the budget, this is the harshest. By bringing in this measure [the cut], the Government is attacking the most vulnerable, the elderly in our society.
“This week alone, we helped three elderly people who called to my office in Galway to fill out an application for the bereavement grant, and it was stressful and difficult for them to do that.
“The average bill for a basic funeral in Galway is between €3,000 and €4,000. The cost of one funeral was €3,854 and this grant meant a great deal to the family,” he told the Minister.
He added that some families are now forced to ask undertakers if they will accept payments by instalment.
“In one case I dealt with recently, I had to contact the undertaker to ask if they would arrange a staged payment scheme for the family and the undertaker agreed to that.
“This grant means a great deal to families who could not even afford to pay for a cup of tea for people after the funeral,” he said.
See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.