Losing a child is one of the most devastating things that can happen to us in our lives and can be a terrible and confusing experience. In this dark and difficult time, it is important to allow yourself room to grieve, which is why many people turn to funeral directors to help them with their child’s service. However, the financial element of arranging a funeral can become yet another stress and worry during this period, one which is now set to be alleviated for those who sadly lose their children at an early age.
Spearheaded by Carolyn Harris, MP for Swansea East, a new Children’s Funeral Fund will be set up in England from this budget year which will allow the government to foot the bill of burials and cremations for the parents of some of the 4,300 children who sadly die every year across the country.
MP Harris sadly lost her young son Martin in a car accident in 1989 and petitioned parliament in an emotional speech explaining how she had to rely on the generosity of friends and family as well as a bank loan to pay for his burial.
After gaining the support of parliament, the new scheme will allow for funeral costs of children under the age of 18 in England to be paid for by local authorities, mirroring policy already rolled out in Wales.
In a statement, the Prime Minister said: “No parent should ever have to endure the unbearable loss of a child – a loss that no amount of time will ever truly heal.
“But in the raw pain of immediate loss, it cannot be right that grieving parents should have to worry about how to meet the funeral costs for a child they hoped to see grow into adulthood.”
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