News & Events

The UK government has released guidance  for people who work in or from vehicles, which may be useful to funeral directors, suppliers to the profession in all parts of the United Kingdom.

It has been prepared by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) with input from firms, unions, industry bodies and the devolved administrations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and in consultation with Public Health England (PHE) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). 

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More than 4,000 names have already been added to the virtual memorial for all those in the United Kingdom, of all faiths and none, lost as a result of COVID-19 - and the number is growing every day.

The project is backed by HRH The Prince of Wales and is free to participate in. Please share the details with your client families and local communities. There are already plans in place for a physical memorial in St Paul's Cathedral too.

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A coalition of support is building around the NAFD’s proposal for a Funeral Crisis Loan,  which is continuing to put pressure on the Government to introduce the loan to help bereaved people during the COVID-19 crisis.

This has included a letters and tweets campaign by NAFD members ask local MPs for support and a letter signed by 10 co-signatories published in the Telegraph along with an article exploring the proposal.

In response to the letter campaign, additional MPs also came forward to offer their support, or to raise the issue with the Secretary of State or the Chancellor - including a senior member of the Cabinet.

Ultimately, the coalition is in the hands of the Government as to whether the proposal will proceed – or whether the Government will instead choose to strengthen and improve the operation of the existing Social Fund funeral expenses payment, something the NAFD also continues to press for at present.

We'd like to thank all those members who have written letters to their MPs (if you'd still like to do so, you can find the details here).  

Members will be aware that the CMA is considering imposing heavy handed financial regulation on funeral firms, including strict price caps and enforced local authority tendering schemes.

The NAFD is concerned that the risk of unintended consequences could be aggravated by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the sector. The NAFD is undertaking some detailed analysis on the economic impact the pandemic is having on the sector, which will be used to inform our response to the CMA. In order to ensure this work is as comprehensive as possible we need your help.

Members will shortly be contacted by National Office to ask that they take part in a short survey to assist this work. It is really important that members take the time to complete this survey. Without your help, we won’t be able to ensure the CMA has all the information it needs to make the right decision for the sector.

All contributions will be used anonymously

An update regarding the UK's testing and tracing systems 
SAIF continues to address questions of concern about the potential impact of the NHS test and trace system, known as Test and Protect in Scotland, on funeral businesses. Please rest assured that we are pursuing this matter urgently and discussed the issue on your behalf during this week's Cabinet Office meeting (Thursday, 4th June) and are seeking clarification about the possibility of an exemption for funeral directors, who have had contact with Covid-19 cases whilst wearing PPE, from the requirement to self-isolate. The Department of Health & Social Care (DHSC) holds the responsibility for the testing and tracing system, and we have asked the Deceased Management Advisory Group (DMAG) to invite the DHSC to discuss it with us next week.

Please note that funeral directors are not alone in their concerns, with care homes and other members of the care and emergency service sectors raising questions too. We understand that the NHS test and trace system is still in its development phase and as soon as we have further information we will release guidance for members.

Official guidance on procuring body bags
The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) has issued the following guidance with regard to PVC body bags.

Some body bags are made from plastic-based, highly halogenated materials such as Poly-Vinyl Chloride (PVC). Combustion of PVC and other highly halogenated materials can cause dioxin formation during the cremation process. Dioxins are harmful to human health and the environment.

As a preventative measure to avoid potential dioxin emissions, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) would like to highlight the following:

• Public Health England (PHE) guidance states that if body bags are used for cremation, they must not contain any PVC or any highly chlorinated material.
• In addition, body bags made of other materials containing a high level of halogens (chlorine, fluorine, bromine and iodine) should not be procured where practically possible.
• There are alternatives to PVC body bags available, made using materials which are not highly chlorinated or halogenated. Please note this DHSC specification for body bags.

PHE guidance on the use of body bags for deceased persons who are suspected or confirmed to have died from Covid-19 can be found here. Additionally, questions or concerns can be emailed to: Control.Pollution@defra.gov.uk.

Funeral costs support available to care workers affected by Covid-19.
The Care Workers' Charity has set up a special Covid-19 Emergency Fund to help care workers who are forced to take time off due to the coronavirus pandemic and need financial help with matters such as funeral costs and self-isolation living expenses. 

Applicants must work in a role that is involved in or supports the provision of adult, elderly or disability care. These may include residential social care, domiciliary/home care, supported living care. If a care worker is responsible for paying for the funeral costs of a next of kin (partner, parent, sibling, child, or other on a case-by-case basis), the charity is offering up to £2,000 grants/per applicant (whilst funds last). If the care worker has passed on, the next of kin or employer may apply on behalf of the family.

Further information about this support is available here and may be of interest to families in your care.

SAIF Business Centre
National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF)
www.saif.org.uk