Funeral Poverty: Conducting Action Research with Clergy

Funeral Poverty: conducting action research with clergy

Revd. Dr. David Primrose – Director, Transforming Communities, Diocese of Lichfield & Naomi Maynard – Independent Researcher Funeral Poverty Facts

• 1 in 7 people get into financial difficulty paying to a funeral.

• The average cost of a funeral in the UK is now £3,551.

• The cost of funerals has increased by 80% in ten years. Funeral Poverty Facts • What % of funeral directors have prices on their website? (5%)

• What % of applications to the Social Fund funeral payment are rejected? (50%)

• What % of the overall cost of a funeral is covered by this payment? (35%) Walsall

• Funerals per annum 2,500

• Anglican Ministers 1,510 60% • Ten parishes ˃ one per week

• Council, of 100/200 12 Funeral Visit

1. Contact with church 2. Ill health and pastoral visiting 3. End of Life care 4. Death 5. Funeral Arrangements 6. Minister Visits 7. Funeral 8. Bereavement Support Financial Pack i. generic information on grants available, ii. local information on grants available, iii. sources of money advice, iv. credit union loan Project Questions

• How can we help clergy to broach the topic of funeral finance during funeral visits?

• Can discussion of funeral finance during funeral visits help to prevent families incurring high-cost funeral debt? Sept 15 Sept 2016 March 16 26 Clergy Clergy and Focus group 1 approached to Funeral and telephone engage with Directors interviews the project meeting

Oct 15-Jan 16 June 16 11 Clergy Focus group 2 complete funeral and interview reflection forms with credit union Did you use the Funeral Finance pack: Yes- given to family but not dicussed

Yes - given to family before visit

Yes - given to family and discussed during visit

Yes - given at a later date

0 10 20 30 Sept 15 Sept 2016 March 16 26 Clergy Clergy and Focus group 1 approached to Funeral and telephone engage with Directors interviews the project meeting

Oct 15-Jan 16 June 16 11 Clergy Focus group 2 complete funeral and interview reflection forms with credit union • “The role of the clergy is almost the promotion to those who are living to consider their funeral and role of the funeral director is to promote these things to the relatives of those who have deceased”

• “I think my role around finance is more usefully played in way ahead, to prepare people for funerals, I think that is the time the clergy can have the most influence.”

• “This is an important message that needs to be said many different times, in many different ways” (e.g. through preaching, on Church websites, at foodbanks, during Grave Talk sessions) Sept 15 Sept 2016 March 16 26 Clergy Clergy and Focus group 1 approached to Funeral and telephone engage with Directors interviews the project meeting

Oct 15-Jan 16 June 16 11 Clergy Focus group 2 complete funeral and interview reflection forms with credit union Schrödinger's cat For further information on this project contact Revd Dr David Primrose on [email protected] or Naomi Maynard on [email protected]

We would like to acknowledge the kind support and involvement of the Church Urban Fund, Diocese of Lichfield, Church Action on Poverty and independent researcher Jane Perry in this project.