Funeral Poverty and Funeral Support Payment Reference Group

Overview

The Funeral Poverty and Funeral Support Payment Reference Group was set up to support Scottish Ministers in developing policy for a new funeral payment. Funeral Support Payment has now launched.

The group advises on:

• the evidence base to support policy decisions
• the evaluation of policy
• the perspective of users
• the wider landscape of funeral and bereavement issues in Scotland
• interaction with wider Scottish and UK social security benefits

The group first met in March 2016.

Members

• Bryan Kerr, Church of Scotland
• Caroline Clark, Scottish Older People’s Assembly (SOPA)
• Caroline Pretty, Lothian NHS
• David Hilferty, Money Advice Scotland
• Debbie Horne, Citizens Advice Scotland
• Eileen Cawley, Scottish Pensioners Forum
• Gerry Boyle, Dignity
• Heather Smith, Age Scotland
• Jane Matheson, Scottish Working Group on Funeral Poverty
• Joseph Murren, Society Of Allied And Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF)
• John Birrell, Bereavement Consultant
• Julie Dunk, Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM)
• Keith Robertson, Cruse Bereavement Care
• Lindesay Mace, Quaker Social Action, Down to Earth
• Lindsay Taylor, Interfaith Scotland
• Mark Willis, Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG)
• Natalie McQuade, Association of British Credit Unions Ltd (ABCUL)
• Nick Britten, National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD)
• Omer Afzal, Muslim Council of Scotland
• Richard Meade, Marie Curie
• John Cunningham, COSLA
• Debbie Horne, COSLA
• Aoife Deery, COSLA
• Simon Cox, Funeral Solution Expert 

Documents

• Funeral Payment and Funeral Poverty: glossary of terms
• Funeral Poverty and Funeral Support Payment Reference Group minutes: June 2023
• Funeral Payment and Funeral Poverty Reference Group minutes: March 2021
• Funeral Payment and Funeral Poverty Reference Group minutes: June 2019
• Funeral Payment and Funeral Poverty Reference Group minutes: January 2019
• Funeral Payment and Funeral Poverty Reference Group minutes: September 2018
• Funeral Payment and Funeral Poverty Reference Group minutes: April 2018
• Funeral Payment and Funeral Poverty Reference Group minutes: February 2018
• Funeral Payment and Funeral Poverty Reference Group minutes: December 2017
• Funeral Payment and Funeral Poverty Reference Group minutes: September 2017
• Funeral Payment and Funeral Poverty Reference Group minutes: June 2017
• Funeral Payment and Funeral Poverty Reference Group minutes: May 2017
• Funeral Payment and Funeral Poverty Reference Group minutes: January 2017
• Funeral Payment and Funeral Poverty Reference Group minutes: October 2016
• Funeral Payment and Funeral Poverty Reference Group minutes: September 2016
• Funeral Payment and Funeral Poverty Reference Group minutes: April 2016
• Funeral Payment and Funeral Poverty Reference Group minutes: March 2016