The Social Fund Funeral Expenses Payments provides a significant contribution towards funeral costs, covering burials, cremations and £700 towards coffins, flowers and other costs. It continues to meet the necessary costs of a cremation or burial for claimants on certain income based benefits or tax credits. Average payments have increased year-on-year to meet these necessary costs, by some 28% over the past ten years.<\/p>
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We have also made interest-free Social Fund Budgeting Loans available for funeral costs in addition to Funeral Expenses Payments. Whilst we are keeping the level of funeral expenses payments under review, we do need to ensure that we have a system that is both fair for taxpayers, while assisting the most vulnerable with funeral expenses.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4105", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Justin Tomlinson"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North Swindon"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Justin Tomlinson"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-07-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-07-19T14:44:52.437Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-07-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Funeral Payments"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans his Department has to review the adequacy of the element of the Funeral Expenses Payment that is used to pay funeral directors, coffins and flowers to cover those costs.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3952", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Toby Perkins"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Chesterfield"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Toby Perkins"} ], "uin" : "163065"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/937886", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/937886/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Department for Work and Pensions does not produce estimates for the average cost of a funeral.<\/p>
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The average Funeral Expenses Payment (FEP) made in each year is published in the Social Fund Annual Report. Table 1 below provides the average FEP made in each year since 2003/04. Figures are rounded to the nearest £1.<\/p>
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Table 1: Average FEP award, 2003/04 \u2013 2017/18<\/strong><\/p> <\/p> Year<\/p><\/td> Average FEP award<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2003/04<\/p><\/td> £1,019<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2004/05<\/p><\/td> £1,051<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2005/06<\/p><\/td> £1,081<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2006/07<\/p><\/td> £1,117<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2007/08<\/p><\/td> £1,162<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2008/09<\/p><\/td> £1,194<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2009/10<\/p><\/td> £1,208<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2010/11<\/p><\/td> £1,217<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2011/12<\/p><\/td> £1,241<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2012/13<\/p><\/td> £1,225<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2013/14<\/p><\/td> £1,347<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2014/15<\/p><\/td> £1,375<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2015/16<\/p><\/td> £1,410<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2016/17<\/p><\/td> £1,427<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2017/18<\/p><\/td> £1,461<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table> <\/p> Source: Social Fund Annual Reports 2003/04 \u2013 2016/17, Social Fund Policy Budget and Management Information System<\/p> <\/p> Notes<\/p> <\/p>