Some families apply directly through the Ministry of Social Development but she can do it on their behalf.
Families are given an application form to fill out and they are means tested by MSD.
The grant is a standard amount nationwide. Only around 80 percent of that amount is paid out on average as grants are income- and asset-tested.
The average price for a funeral is around $6500 for a modest service with cremation, and $8400-plus for a burial.
In some cases, families opt for “direct cremation” — no funeral at all — at around $3000.
“We offer a discount if people can pay within 60 days. If not, we can arrange a payment plan over six months which varies depending on what each family can afford,” Ms Baty said.
“Often families will divide the balance between family members. We try to work with families if we know they are in financial hardship.
“We like to see that some money is being paid each month towards the bill. Sometimes it can take up to two years for a family to pay the balance.”
According to the latest Ministry of Social Development data, 213 grants totalling $454,748 were given last year in the East Coast region which includes Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay.
The average amount granted was $2134.
An FDANZ member survey shows that even with the increased funeral grant, eligible low-income families are facing difficult decisions.
“While we welcome the increase, the grant continues to be woefully inadequate when covering the most basic costs of a funeral,” said Gillian Boyes.
And the cost is likely to go up in Tairāwhiti, with council fees for burials and cremations expected to increase this year, alongside rising material costs and general inflation.
It costs around $1200 to buy a burial plot from Gisborne District Council at Taruheru Cemetery, which is in addition to the funeral service.
“We are concerned that real harm is being caused by the inequalities surrounding access to what should be a basic human and cultural right — to be able to farewell a loved one with dignity and respect,” Ms Boyes said.
Some families were being forced to choose little to no ceremony, while direct cremation was the only option for others.
Ms Boyes said this had concerning impacts, including long-term effects on ethnic communities and low-income families.
“Families who would prefer a burial for religious or cultural reasons are left choosing between taking on an unaffordable loan from a third-tier lender or borrowing from friends or family in order to provide an appropriate funeral service.”
Significant financial pressure was also being placed on funeral directors, which Ms Boyes said could ultimately result in geographical gaps in service.
“Some of our members are left accepting small drip-feed payments which threaten their own long-term viability. One of our Waikato members commented that some families continue part-paying for years, while an Auckland member noted the significant financial liability on their business, saying that families end up having to pay over a number of months.
“These pressures are being severely felt in our provincial communities.”
In the past four years, MSD figures show the number of funeral grants distributed increased substantially in regions such as Taranaki (37 percent) and Waikato (22 percent).
Ms Boyes said it was critical the grant was increased to properly support the most vulnerable.
Other than annual Consumer Price Index adjustments, the last meaningful increase to the funeral grant was 20 years ago.
FDANZ has been advocating on behalf of its members for the grant to be increased since 2000.
