Refusing to pay funereal costs

diggingdude

[DELETED USER] said:

Doesn't having bodies in the garden affect the value of the house? I wouldn't buy a place I knew had the former owners buried in it.

Just put them in a bag for life 

gadjah543

For anyone who wasn’t a member about ten years ago there will be a lot of confusion about where this thread is going. The dead dog 🐕 thread had me crying with laughter at the time. Don’t know how to link it but we’ll worth a read

Pollycat

I think it's sad that this thread has been taken so far off-topic.

I really do hope the OP has taken some of the early advice about not being liable for funeral costs back to this woman who can't afford to pay for her estranged husband's funeral but seems to have been led in that direction by the hospital.

brewerdave

Pollycat said:

I think it's sad that this thread has been taken so far off-topic.

I really do hope the OP has taken some of the early advice about not being liable for funeral costs back to this woman who can't afford to pay for her estranged husband's funeral but seems to have been led in that direction by the hospital.

Hospitals/councils have a "duty" to offset costs if they can but nowadays they do seem to go OTT. When my F-I-L died, divorced and estranged from the family, the hospital phoned every brother and sister they could get hold of ,even after being told that the estate was insolvent.

Dr_Crypto

I think that’s perfectly reasonable. What if some relative appears and complains that their relation was cremated without being offered the opportunity to organise a ceremony of their choice? 

Pollycat

brewerdave said:

Pollycat said:

I think it's sad that this thread has been taken so far off-topic.

I really do hope the OP has taken some of the early advice about not being liable for funeral costs back to this woman who can't afford to pay for her estranged husband's funeral but seems to have been led in that direction by the hospital.

Hospitals/councils have a "duty" to offset costs if they can but nowadays they do seem to go OTT. When my F-I-L died, divorced and estranged from the family, the hospital phoned every brother and sister they could get hold of ,even after being told that the estate was insolvent.

And I don't think that is fair on estranged relatives.
It's shoddy practice.
.Dr_Crypto said:

I think that’s perfectly reasonable. What if some relative appears and complains that their relation was cremated without being offered the opportunity to organise a ceremony of their choice? 

I'm not sure what you are saying is 'perfectly reasonable'.
I disagree that it's 'perfectly reasonable' to try to lay a financial burden on someone who quite possibly has had no contact with the deceased for some time.
This specifically is not (or doesn't appear to be) a case where someone is trying to get a funeral arranged quickly before any other relative pops up.
It's about the hospital trying to get someone/anyone to foot the bill.

Dr_Crypto

No it is about a hospital with a deceased person who needs some kind of disposal. Normally families wish to do this in whatever way suits them. It is uncommon for a family to be there and not wish to dispose of their relative but this happens. 
Our local hospital sometimes has bits in the local paper about people who have died without any recorded family, mainly so that those who knew the deceased may be able to organise a funeral if they so wish. 
Relatives would be complaining (and rightly so) if there was a pauper's funeral and they were unable to organise something if they had been contacted. 
So yes I think it is great that they are calling round. 
Not everything is about money although some on here can only see £££.

sammyjammy

Dr_Crypto said:

No it is about a hospital with a deceased person who needs some kind of disposal. Normally families wish to do this in whatever way suits them. It is uncommon for a family to be there and not wish to dispose of their relative but this happens. 
Our local hospital sometimes has bits in the local paper about people who have died without any recorded family, mainly so that those who knew the deceased may be able to organise a funeral if they so wish. 
Relatives would be complaining (and rightly so) if there was a pauper's funeral and they were unable to organise something if they had been contacted. 
So yes I think it is great that they are calling round. 
Not everything is about money although some on here can only see £££.

And its not the hospital that would bear the cost if nobody came forward, it is the local council

elsien

I’m an advocate and on one occasion the hospital wanted to give me someone’s death certificate and to arrange for the person to be taken to a funeral director, because I was the only contact they had. 
It wasn’t about the money, they just want someone to take charge that isn’t them. Preferably someone who knew the person. I just pointed out my role ended when the person passed away, and that was that. 

Pollycat

Dr_Crypto said:

No it is about a hospital with a deceased person who needs some kind of disposal. Normally families wish to do this in whatever way suits them. It is uncommon for a family to be there and not wish to dispose of their relative but this happens. 
Our local hospital sometimes has bits in the local paper about people who have died without any recorded family, mainly so that those who knew the deceased may be able to organise a funeral if they so wish. 
Relatives would be complaining (and rightly so) if there was a pauper's funeral and they were unable to organise something if they had been contacted. 
So yes I think it is great that they are calling round. 
Not everything is about money although some on here can only see £££.

In this specific instance, though, it is not a case of family not wishing to dispose of their relative.

From what the OP has said, it's about a woman - separated from her husband - who has been ma
de to feel by the hospital that 

Uriziel said:

she is being expected to pay £7K in funereal fees.

If hospitals are phoning round to find (or coerce or guilt-trip) someone into organising and therefore taking responsibility for paying for a funeral it is most definitely about £££.

On the hospital's side.

It might be great for the hospital to be calling round to find someone who is willing (and can afford) to pay for a funeral.

But not great to lay a financial burden on someone who possibly wasn't even a part of the deceased life at the time of his death and who can't afford it.

Glad this thread has got back on topic.