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A rising number of Australians forced in to unmarked pauper graves

Posted by admin - 13/05/09 at 11:05:13 am
  • 4 fold increase in number of families unable to afford funerals
  • Numbers of unmarked pauper graves increasing
  • “Pensioners with no money left after nursing home”It seems the economic crisis is hitting even the dead.As the tough economic conditions continue there has been 4 fold increase of people being buried in unmarked pauper graves.Evidence coming from the NSW Coroner shows that families are opting for “destitute funerals” for their children as they are unable to afford burial costs due to financial difficulty.Some grieving families have had to rely on the government to bury their deceased in graves which hold six or more cardboard coffins because they have lost their jobs in this recession.

    A spokesman from the NSW Coroners office said that the graves are dug deep with coffins effectively stacked on top of each other. With the economy the way it is they are predicting more to come.

    Sad stories abound of families thrust into economic hardship by the cost of a funeral for a loved one. Many families are left with little option but to pay up to $10,000 – $15,000 for funeral related costs of burial or cremation.

    Often pensioners have spent all their remaining savings on nursing home costs and have nothing left for funeral costs, and the responsibility falls to the family or eventually the government.

    Typically a cremation costs around $4000, or $10,000 for a burial with ceremonial costs in addition to that.

    Funeral Insurance is one way of protecting you and your family against the cost of a funeral and the burden on those you leave behind. Funeral Insurance offers cover of $5,000 – $15,000 towards the cost of a funeral, from a little as 36 cents a day.