Government must commit to annual increase of benefit to tackle funeral poverty

Responding to the Department for Work and Pensions announcement that the Funeral Expenses Benefit is to increase from Spring 2020, Louise Eaton-Terry, funeral cost expert at Royal London, said:

“While the cost of funerals has risen over the years, the Government’s benefit to help with funeral costs has remained at £700 for 16 years. Having tirelessly campaigned on this issue, we welcome the news that the Funeral Expenses Payment benefit is set to rise. However, with bereaved families borrowing almost £2,000 to pay for a loved one’s funeral, more needs to be done to tackle funeral poverty. This is only the tip of the iceberg - the Government must, at the very least, commit to annual increases of the benefit if it really wants to have an impact.”