University of Dundee Funeral Poverty in Dundee Bickerton, Ruth; Morelli
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
University of Dundee Funeral Poverty in Dundee Bickerton, Ruth; Morelli, Carlo DOI: 10.20933/100001153 Publication date: 2019 Document Version Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Link to publication in Discovery Research Portal Citation for published version (APA): Bickerton, R., & Morelli, C. (2019). Funeral Poverty in Dundee: Funeral Link Evaluation. University of Dundee. https://doi.org/10.20933/100001153 General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in Discovery Research Portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. • Users may download and print one copy of any publication from Discovery Research Portal for the purpose of private study or research. • You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain. • You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal. Take down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Download date: 01. Oct. 2021 Funeral Poverty in Dundee Funeral Link Evaluation Ruth Bickerton and Carlo Morelli University of Dundee Final Report July 2019 Project Reference Number SIF-R3-S2-LUPS-017 Lead Applicant Dundee City Council Project Title Tackling Funeral Poverty in Dundee through Social Enterprise Table of Contents Executive Summary ............................................................................................................... 6 Recommendations ................................................................................................................................................ 7 CHAPTER 1: Introduction........................................................................................................ 9 CHAPTER 2: The Funeral Process .......................................................................................... 11 2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 11 2.2 Death ..................................................................................................................................... 11 2.3 The Consumer and choosing a Funeral Director ....................................................................... 11 2.4 The Funeral Market ................................................................................................................ 18 2.5 Summary Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 22 CHAPTER 3: Funerals and Funeral Poverty Data ................................................................... 24 3.1 Funeral Costs .......................................................................................................................... 24 Average Costs – UK and Scotland, 2018 ............................................................................................................. 24 Burial Funeral Average Costs, 2018, UK, Scotland and Dundee ......................................................................... 25 Cremation Funeral Average Costs, 2018, UK, Scotland and Dundee .................................................................. 25 Changing Funeral Costs ....................................................................................................................................... 25 3.2 Dundee Funerals ..................................................................................................................... 26 Funeral Directors ................................................................................................................................................ 26 Burial Fees ........................................................................................................................................................... 27 Crematoria Fees .................................................................................................................................................. 29 3.3 Funeral Poverty ...................................................................................................................... 31 Definition ............................................................................................................................................................ 31 UK level ............................................................................................................................................................... 32 Dundee level ....................................................................................................................................................... 32 Funeral Spend by Income ................................................................................................................................... 34 3.4 Average Costs, Social Fund payments and potential shortfalls .................................................. 35 3.5 Funeral Poverty Indicators in Dundee ...................................................................................... 36 Scottish Indices of Multiple Deprivation ............................................................................................................. 36 Unemployment rates .......................................................................................................................................... 37 Benefits rates ...................................................................................................................................................... 38 Long-term sick ..................................................................................................................................................... 38 Gross weekly earnings ........................................................................................................................................ 38 Death Rates ......................................................................................................................................................... 39 3.6 Conclusions ............................................................................................................................ 40 CHAPTER 4: Government Action ........................................................................................... 42 4.1 Scottish Government .............................................................................................................. 42 Funeral Poverty Policy ........................................................................................................................................ 42 Inspectors of Crematoria and Funeral Directors ................................................................................................. 42 Funeral Support Payment ................................................................................................................................... 43 Incentivised Savings ............................................................................................................................................ 43 4.2 UK Government ...................................................................................................................... 44 Competition and Markets Authority ................................................................................................................... 44 Treasury Pre-Paid Plans Consultation ................................................................................................................. 44 Funeral Payments ............................................................................................................................................... 44 4.3 Local Government .................................................................................................................. 44 Respectful Funeral Services ................................................................................................................................ 44 Credit Unions ...................................................................................................................................................... 45 CHAPTER 5: Funeral Link ...................................................................................................... 46 5.1 Proposal for the Social Enterprise ............................................................................................ 46 5.2 Rationale for Funeral Link ....................................................................................................... 46 5.3 Funeral Link: Set up and Practicalities ...................................................................................... 46 - June – November 2018 .............................................................................................................................. 47 - November – December, 2018 .................................................................................................................... 47 - January – March, 2019 ............................................................................................................................... 48 - March – June, 2019 ...................................................................................................................................