El Tribunal de lo Contencioso;

The Four Funeral Link Client Groups

Funeral Link has provided a widely recognised valuable service within the City of Dundee during its initial phase of establishment. Across the city advice agencies welcome its establishment serving specific and specialist needs within the community that cannot easily be provided by existing agencies.

The research into funeral poverty in Dundee has identified that there are distinct segmented populations within Funeral Link’s client groups each requiring distinct interventions. These are:

1. a) Deceased without a next of kin and next of kin with insufficient resources to provide for the legal requirements of disposal of a deceased. This population have only the recourse of an environmental burial provided by Dundee City Council and distinct measures to provide a respectful burial are required.

b) Deceased with a next of kin who believes they have insufficient funds for the legal requirements of disposal of a deceased. This population is a key client group for Funeral Link as they are able to assist through setting out lower-cost options that could be available to these families. This could involve a reduced choice but the family may find this preferable to an environmental funeral.

Funeral Link’s role also involves helping the family raise deposits, helping with Social Fund applications, liaising with funeral directors, signposting, referring and guiding clients to agencies, charities and external organisations capable of providing grants and low cost loans.

2. Next of kin on benefits that provide entitlement to a successful Social Fund Funeral Expenses Payment (SF200) application. This population is partly catered for by existing Funeral Directors who, in some cases, complete SF200 applications for clients. Funeral Link’s role here is in resolving difficulties next of kin face in raising deposits and ensuring debt arising from additional funeral costs, not covered by the SF200 application, can be funded.

3. Next of kin on low household incomes without recourse to Social Fund applications. This should be the main target group for Funeral Link’s activity. This population are least well served by the existing funeral directors in the market but stigma and social norms prevents next of kin making use of environmental burials. Funeral Link’s role with this client group is much more extensive in identifying measures to reduce costs while retaining the need for a respectful funeral, signposting, referring and guiding clients to agencies, charities and external organisations capable of providing grants and low cost loans and negotiating with funeral directors for discounted prices for traditional services.

4. Next of kin with sufficient resources to be able to provide for their desired funeral. Funeral Link’s services with this client group is one of limited advice and signposting for existing services.

Funeral Link Actions to Help Clients by Group

Funeral Link has clear areas of action which are set out with respect to the four client groups in the table below. These are set out alongside some other policies which would help clients in each of the groups.

Group Financing Actions Agency

Environmental funeral Dundee City Council

A

1b Next of Kin believe they have insufficient funds

Change payments to include full burial costs in Dundee when payments change to Scottish Government administration of

Funeral Expenses Assistance Scottish Government

Credit unions able to offer shortfall funding of up to £800 Credit unions Incentivised savings schemes to help cover costs in advance. Credit Unions, Scottish

Government

Incentivised savings schemes to help cover costs in advance. Credit unions, Scottish Government

Credit Unions able to provide shortfall funding of up to £800 Credit unions

B, C, E, F, G, H, I

resources Able to provide for the desired funeral G, H Funeral Link

3

Next of Kin with low household income and no

Social Fund payments

No benefits support for costs, deposits also generally required.

1a No Next of Kin/ Next of Kin

have insufficient funds No funds available to pay privately

2 Next of Kin who receive Social Fund payments

Cost of cremations covered. Cost of burial partially covered (not include perpetuity

payments in Dundee). Additional costs payment of £700. Can still experience shortfalls for even basic funerals, deposits

generally required

- ‘At need’ actions by Funeral Link:

A. Referring clients to Dundee City Council and assistance with improvements for a respectful burial for those needing an

‘environmental’ or ‘national assistance’ funeral (Funeral Link working with Dundee City Council).

B. Giving advice to clients on reducing costs to the consumer by advising on how to adapt funerals at the ‘at need’ point (Funeral Link working with funeral directors).

C. Negotiating and advocacy – working with funeral directors to obtain lower cost funerals for clients that most need help (Funeral Link working with funeral directors).

D. Assisting clients with Social Fund applications providing expertise to achieve success (Funeral Link working with funeral directors).

E. Referring clients to partner agencies who can help with grant funding and other expertise (Funeral Link working with Citizens Advice Bureau Dundee, Brooks Bank, Connect etc).

F. Referring clients to partner agencies who can help with wider support such as clothing, counselling, substance abuse, debt advice etc (Funeral Link with Cruse Scotland, NHS, substance misuse charities, clothing charities etc).

- Funeral planning education by Funeral Link:

G. Advice on reducing costs by discussions and communication about funeral planning prior to the time of ‘at need’ through marketing and community events (Funeral Link).

H. Advice on administration prior to ‘at need point through will-writing, Power of Attorney and funeral planning (Funeral Link).

I. Education and signposting to incentivised savings schemes to help cover costs in advance (Funeral Link with credit unions).