help with funeral costs?

[lyn]

ok a long shot but, does anyone know how my friend would go about claiming the cost of her sons funeral from the dss? she is on a very low wage and is in a panic about how she can pay for the funeral. i'm sure she will be able to claim the cost but someone else said she won't be able to. darren was not employed and therefore he left nothing. i hate to see my friend worrying about money at this time. she is soo distraught and i would like to be able to advise her and put her mind at rest but i can't find anything on the net. its all about if a partner dies.

[Simon]

Found this. Not sure if it's what you're after, but may help.....

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/advisers/sb16/funeral.asp

[Alpha]

I know that they have really weird laws now and if they die in hospital I think you can claim. But it isn't as straight forward as it used to be. I am sure there is a help line you can call but don't be fobbed off (if you know any Social Workers they normally know all the rules).
I hope youu arre OK Mrs, my thoughts are with you all.

[Michelle]

Hey Lyn, tell your friend to try her nearest CAB or information centre, they should have all the answers she needs. She should be entitled to help from the DSS, thinking of you, your friend and her family hon!

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/AdvancedSea ... neral+cost (http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/AdvancedSearch/Searchresults/index.htm?fullText=funeral+cost)

Heres another link for you to look at!

[lyn]

thankyou, you just don't know how much this has put my friends mind at peace. she works for our local co op and i am disgusted at how they just don't seem to care. she has just gone down ther to see if she can have a couple of weeks off as holiday but she doesn't hold out much hope. darrens body is in norwich atm and she had to travel there yesterday to identify him formally :cry: she is so lovely and truly doesn't deserve this. there is more to it than i want to say right now.

[MightyMouth]

http://www.cpag.org.uk/cro/wrb/wrb183/funeral.htm

Don't know if this helps or not :shock:

EDIT by Simon: This post was edited to remove the content which was posted, at the request of the owners / publisher. I've instead, linked to the information on the original website.

[NinjaMaster]

I'm sorry to hear of your friends loss but it just shows you what a shitty state this country is coming to. Kids getting caught in crossfire. Asylum seekers by the thousands streaming in the country and bleeding it dry by claiming left, right and centre. (I heard that parents who are working here can claim child allowance for their children back in their home country!?!).

All this red tape and stuff to get some money to help put you child to rest. It's bad enough that you lose your child and then all this added hassle. She must be entitled to a few days bereavement leave from work and if they don't give her any hols I would march her straight down to her GP and get her signed off for stress or something.

What would they expect her to do if she genuinley can't afford the funeral (And basic burials aren't cheap). Leave him in the street? Back garden? Jeez. I can't believe how angry this has made me feel and I don't even know them.

:evil:

[Alpha]

I think its bloody disgrace this country.
I think that she should be given all the help and support she needs, but you can almost guarantee that because she is a Uk tax paying citizen there will be little help and advice forth coming.
:02:

[lyn]

well there had better be lots of help and advice or they're gonna have me to deal with.

[Jan/Billy]

How absolutely awful Lyn. Just can't imagine for one minute how your friend must be feeling , it has to be every parents worst nightmare to loose a child :cry:




she works for our local co op and i am disgusted at how they just don't seem to care. she has just gone down ther to see if she can have a couple of weeks off as holiday but she doesn't hold out much hope.

Please tell me that they have allowed her sufficient leave? That is absolutely awful :cry:

[jean]

lyn did your friend get any help?
how is she coping? poor soul.. has she any other children?

[lyn]

hi jean, she has applied for help from the dss or dwp are they the same thing? anyway not sure how much she'll get but she has spared no expense for the funeral after we all chipped in and she also discovered she can pay in installments. she has 2 younger children a boy and a girl. they are looking after their mum :13: so she keeps sneaking round here for a bit of peace. i have told her darren will be haunting her coz the coffin she picked out is called clare, :o we are all waiting now to see when the funeral can be held. hopefully it will be this week sometime. he is now at the funeral home here and that has made my friend feel so much better coz he was killed quite a ways from here. we have bickered a bit over what he should wear and what should be played at the church. she wanted the whitney houson song and i said it was to girly for him.then she was worrying about what top to put on him so he wouldn't feel so cold :cry: i have told her he's not feeling any cold now that his body is like an old overcoat that he's discarded and he is free to do as he wants. she is holding up much better than we thought she would but i am worried it will hit her bad at the funeral.i am feeling very mean atm coz she wanted me to go in the cars with her. she has no family except for her kids. there is nothing on this earth will get me in a funeral car. i have never sat in one and never intend to. i think kealy and leanne and scott will be in the car with her. jim and i will go in our car. jim is a pallbearer so we have to time our arrival just right or we'll hold things up.
she has decided that "you'll never walk alone" will be played in the church. he was a totenham(sp) supporter for years but he got fed up with them losing all the time a couple of years ago and supported liverpool instead. i think my dan had a hand in that.
my dan is distraught, he was very very close to darren and he can't go to the funeral coz he's still in prison. he's phoned me in tears everyday. proper sobbing. its broke my heart to hear him like that :cry:

[Michelle]

Oh lyn thats so sad, hope things go ok this week :13:

[Alpha]

Try to keep your chin up you have been the best friend anyone could wish for.

[baileybiggles]

I agree with you all this country stinks when you are a British citizan :07: :07:
and all my love too your friend in her hour of need when all she needs is love and tender words surely someone out there can help her through all the paperwork and ease her of that burden I am so glad she as you Lynn for the shoulder to lean on
and I hope that CO.Op gives her the leave she is entitled too :07:

[jean]

wont the prison let him out for the funeral or does it have to be a close relative? often your friends are closer than your family. I hope shes still doing ok but you are right it will hit her when its over. did she get to see him? Its hard when a loved one dies far away and even more tragic when they are just young.