FOI request (FOIR-300458217)

Public health funerals

Requested Tue 26 January 2021
Responded Thu 04 March 2021

I am writing to request the following information under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act:

Questions 1-4 relate to the financial year 2019/20 between 1st April 2019 and 31st March 2020.

1. How many public health funerals were carried out in the financial year 2019/20?

2. What was the total cost of public health funerals to the Local Authority in the financial year 2019/20?

3. If you recovered funeral costs in the financial year 2019/20, what was the total amount that was recovered?

4. What was the most common reason for the council performing a public health funeral in 2019/20? (Choose one option below)

a. The deceased had no family

b. The deceased's family were unable to pay for the funeral

c. The deceased's family were unwilling to pay for the funeral

Questions 5-8 relate specifically for the time period between 1st March and 31st December 2020.

5. How many public health funerals were carried out between 1st March and 31st December 2020?

6. What was the total cost of public health funerals to the Local Authority carried out between 1st March and 31st December 2020?

7. If you recovered funeral costs between 1st March and 31st December 2020, what was the total amount that was recovered?

8. What was the most common reason for the council performing a public health funeral between 1st March and 31st December 2020? (Choose one option below)

a. The deceased had no family

b. The deceased's family were unable to pay for the funeral

c. The deceased's family were unwilling to pay for the funeral

Questions 9-11 are general questions relating to your policies on public health funerals:

9. Are family members allowed to attend the public health funeral? Please answer Yes or No

10. If the funeral is a cremation funeral, are the ashes returned to the family? Please answer Yes or No

11. If you answered YES to 10, was there a cost to the family to have the ashes returned to them?

12. Have you seen a rise in demand for public health funerals in the last year (1st January to 31st December 2020) which you believe is as a result of COVID-19? Please answer Yes, No or Don't know

Response

Q1 - This information is available to view on our website via the following link: https://www.hastings.gov.uk/my-council/transparency/budgets/#funerals

Q2 - Cost £43,850

Q3 - Recovered £3,399

Q4 - NIL, answer D, there was insufficient funds in the deceased estate and no one else was willing or able to take on the arrangements.

Q5 - This information is available to view on our website via the following link: https://www.hastings.gov.uk/my-council/transparency/budgets/#funerals

Q6 - Cost £17,259

Q7 - Recovered £137

Q8 - NIL, answer D, there was insufficient funds in the deceased estate and no one else was willing or able to take on the arrangements.

Q9 - Yes

Q10 - Yes

Q11 - No

Q12 - No, in fact we have had less than usual.