Burials
The Council will under certain circumstances arrange for the
burial of persons where no-one else is acting to carry out the
funeral arrangements.
This typically occurs when there is no living relative able to
organise matters.
A very basic service is provided and costs involved, including
officer time, are recovered from any estate. Any belongings
will also be disposed of and any money raised used to finance the
costs incurred.
Relatives of deceased individuals or others who take responsibility
for arranging matters may be eligible for funding. For details of
Funeral Payments contact the local benefits office (Jobcentre Plus)
and ask for form SF200 or go online for the form at the Department
of Work and Pensions. This is normally preferable to any relatives
or others who wish to influence what arrangements are made as the
Council will only act to provide a very basic service.
Independent, impartial help with planning a funeral can
be found at
www.funeralmap.co.uk which
lists funeral directors, crematoria, open cemeteries, woodland
burial sites, bereavement support organisations, memorial masons
and registry offices across the UK.