§ Sir Archy KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether funeral payments have been made to help with costs incurred of funerals arranged overseas since 1997. [157822]
1015W
§ Mr. PondThe information is not available.
Since 1997, people with the right to reside in the UK, under European Economic Community directives, may receive help for the cost of a funeral that takes place in the European economic area or Switzerland.
As long as the other conditions of entitlement are satisfied a funeral payment may be made equivalent to that which would have been paid if the funeral had taken
New Deal costs1 £ million 2001–02 Outturn
2002–032 Forecast outturn
2003–04 Plans
2004–05 Plans
2005–06 Plans
New Deal for Young People 308 339 340 320 320 New Deal 25 plus 213 254 255 259 261 New Deal 50 plus 87 106 56 16 10 New Deal for Lone Parents 46 80 82 109 116 New Deal for Disabled People 10 27 27 27 27 New Deal for partners 8 6 11 26 39 1Includes programme and administrative spend. 2Figures are rounded to the nearest million. Source: Department for Work and Pensions Departmental Report 2003
§ Sir Archy KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when elements of the Regulated Social Fund have been increased and by how much in(a) cash and (b) real terms; what research he has conducted on the cost of a simple, respectful and low cost funeral in each of the last six years; how man people have received funeral payments since 1997; and what the average award was in each year. [157821]
§ Mr. PondFuneral payments from the Social Fund cover, in full, the cost of certain necessary charges; these include fees levied by burial authorities and crematoria. An additional sum is allowed for other funeral expenses, which give the person arranging the funeral the freedom to select items or services they consider appropriate. This additional sum was increased to a maximum of £700 from 7 April 2003.
The total average funeral payment in 2002–03 was £929. The amount awarded in many cases can be much higher but this is often offset by money available from the deceased's assets, which may be taken into account.
The available information is in the table.
1016W
Number and average amount of Social Fund funeral payments since 1997
£ Number of funeral payments
Average amount paid
1997–98 48,000 792 1998–99 46,000 839 1999–2000 44,000 866 2000–01 40,000 892 2001–02 42,000 909 2002–03 45,000 929 Note: Number of funeral payments is rounded to the nearest thousand Source: DWP Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System place in the UK. The Department does not collect centrally information regarding the number of funeral payments made for funerals held outside the UK.