Government’s scrapping of bereavement grant leads to hardship – SVP

Families struggle with funeral costs

The Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) has raised concerns over the Government’s controversial scrapping of the bereavement grant.

As part of austerity measures, the Government last year scrapped the grant, which was worth €850 to families struggling to cover unexpected funeral costs.

Head of Social Justice and Policy with the SVP, John-Mark McCafferty said the allowance was “another one the supports to families that have been discontinued as a result of cuts”.

The abolition of the bereavement grant “is another issue that further effects people at this difficult time,” he told The Irish Catholic.

Urging families not to resort to money lenders, Mr McCafferty said exceptional needs payments to help with funeral costs were still available to some low income families through the Department of Social Protection.

Burden

He said the SVP “unfortunately cannot support very high funeral costs but contributes in a small way to relieving the burden” on pressured families.

“At such a sensitive and profoundly sad time, we would encourage families to make funeral arrangements that reflect the reality of their income,” he advised.

The charity’s concerns were echoed by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children.

The parliamentary committee called on the Government to consider a review of “its decision to abolish the bereavement grant”.

According to statistics, about 29,000 people die in Ireland every year, leaving up to 290,000 families bereaved.

As well as the obvious human cost, it is estimated the mostly unplanned deaths account for up to €1.3 billion of the health budget.

The watchdog said this money should at least be spent in a more planned and focused way.

It called for a national strategy on palliative care, end of life and bereavement which would force all hospitals to draw up plans for looking after the dying and their loved ones.