Posted by Charles
Yesterday (15 September) Hilary Benn asked this question in the House:
May we have a statement on reports that the Government propose to ask bereaved relatives, including those on low incomes, for payment when they go to register the death of a loved one? The charge, estimates of which vary from £100 to £180, is apparently intended to pay for a new system to check on causes of death, but the cost, which is no longer to be hidden in funeral directors’ charges, will be collected when families turn up, often in a distressed state, at the register office, or they will be sent an invoice later. Given that the Conservative party made such a fuss at the last election about a so-called death tax, will a Minister explain at the Dispatch Box why they now plan to impose one?
Does anyone know anything about this?
Presumedly, this is connected with the new Coroners arrangements that should have been in place by April 2012. It replaces the current Doctors cremation forms (2x £73.50) with a single decision by an “appointed person” on whether to “report” a death to a Coroner or not. Currently, those deaths not required to have a Coroner’s post mortem are subject to the above charge (£147) to enable cremation to take place. Burials and those Deceased that are subjected to a Coroners PM are exempt from the fee. The new arrangement, which has been trialled in Sheffield, has “hit the buffers” and… Read more »
Nick, thank you very much indeed for this welcome enlightenment.