FOI request (FOIR-131064071)

Public health funerals FOI 2018/19

Requested Mon 15 July 2019
Responded Tue 27 August 2019

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

1. How many public health funerals were carried out in the financial year 2018/19?

2. What was the total cost of public health funerals to the Local Authority in 2018/19?

3. If you recovered funeral costs in 2018/19, what was the total amount that was recovered?

4. What was the most common reason for the council performing a public health funeral in 2018/19? (Choose one option below)

- The deceased had no family

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

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

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

6a. If the funeral is a cremation funeral, are the ashes returned to the family? Please answer Yes or No

6b. If you answered YES to 6a, was there a cost to the family to have the ashes returned to them?

7a. How many public health funerals in 2018/19 were burial funerals?

7b. How many public health funerals in 2018/19 were cremation funerals?

Response

Q1 -

This information is available on our website at: https://www.hastings.gov.uk/my-council/transparency/budgets/#funerals

Q2 - £36,073.74 spend

Q3 - (£6,043.87) costs recovered

Q4 -

This information is available on our website at: https://www.hastings.gov.uk/my-council/transparency/budgets/#funerals. The main reason was there was not enough money in the deceased estate to pay for a funeral.

Q5 - Yes

Q6a - Yes

Q6b - No

Q7a - 0

Q7b - 19