A question often asked of a Funeral Director is  

"What if they have no money"  Or  "How do they pay for a Funeral if they have nothing"? 

The answer is both simple and complex. 

The simple answer is that there are 'Online' cremation providers, such as www.kiwicremation.co.nz  a national company that I am a shareholder of, who can look after the practical side of things by way of helping you apply for a grant available from WINZ for all those with no funds.  Currently, this is just over $2,500. – These practical things include. 

  • Collecting the deceased from the place of birth 
  • Uplifting medical certificates for both registration of death and cremation documentation 
  • Submitting documents to medical referee for cremation authority 'Permission to cremate' 
  • Providing a 'basic' casket (Plywood or cardboard) and placing the deceased in. 
  • Booking of and Transportation to the crematorium for cremation 

The downside of this is that it is all done online and the cremation is Unattended. A straight cremation, where the value of a Funeral Service is required.  In these circumstances, you will need some funds but a good combination is to keep things simple and combine the small amount of funds with the WINZ grant to help provide a funeral service.  We are happy to help people who want to 'DIY' by providing practical help and showing them ways to save money.  This could include simple things like 

 

The complex answer comes about when you want more than just an online service arranging the cremation, where you want a gathering to attend and say farewell, which is so important for 'good grieving'. 

In these circumstances, we, Kapiti Coast Funeral Home, will travel anywhere in the Wellington and Kapiti region to sit with you and help plan a low-cost gathering.  Things to consider to keep costs down include: 

  • VENUE; either take the deceased home and have a service there or have a small private gathering at the crematorium with refreshments open to everyone (with an open mic at refreshments 
  • REFRESHMENTS; at your own place (saves on venue fees) with open invitation ALL invited – asking friends to 'bring a plate' (food to share). 
  • FLOWERS; for the casket and venue can be purchased from a supermarket for a much lower price than a florist, or simply bring flowers friends have sent you. 
  • PHOTO TRIBUTE; If wanting a tribute, making these yourselves and scanning your own photos can save money, but do ask the Funeral Director about the best formats as some free software fails on the day. 
  • SERVICE SHEET; If wanting a printed sheet, a cheap option can be to draft it yourself and then get printed at a print shop.  A lot of the costs are in the design work. 
  • CELEBRANT While celebrants are professionals and have fees from $500-$750 on average, there are some who in special circumstances will not charge at all.   

There are so many things the Funeral Director can help with and often is just by way of free advice, to help keep costs down to your budget.  Even when people have had no money at all, there are still ways to help and the Funeral Director is the best person to ask. 

Have a look at our website for more information www.kapiticoastfuneralhome.co.nz or feel free to contact our office on 04 2985168 to make time for a free chat. 

Death without debt is achievable, it just needs a little knowledge and a helpful Funeral Director! 

(Andrew Malcolm – Kapiti Coast Funeral Home)