Price of burials and cremations in Oldham cut by £100

Oldham Council has slashed the price of burials and cremations by £100 for six months to support bereaved families.

Chiefs say they are freezing their fees and charges for the cost of interments and cremations as the number of deaths from coronavirus continues to rise.

The town hall is also making a £100 reduction for burials or cremations, valid from the beginning of April until the end of September which it says aims to help ‘even in a small way’.

It will see the cost of a new residents’ grave for one or two interments reduced from £860 down to £760.

The cremation fee – which includes recorded music or use of the organ – will drop from £545 down to £445.

A spokesperson said that deaths during this time are going to be ‘one of the most difficult and painful things we are going to have to deal with’.

“We appreciate dealing with the death of family member or friend can be very traumatic,” they added.

“In these unprecedented times when there are restrictions on the number of mourners who can attend a funeral we understand that this could add to the pain and sense of loss.

“We want to do as much as we can to support residents at this difficult time and help the bereaved, if we can, in any way.”

It comes as a number of changes to the normal funeral process have been put in place as a result of pandemic.

Even after a person has passed away from the virus, there is still a real risk of infection to other people.

That’s why public health professionals have taken the heartbreaking decision to restrict access to patients dying from the virus.

A loved one with Covid-19 being treated in hospital will only be allowed a 15 minute visit per day by one person.

If a patient dies while in hospital, their faith requirements will be fulfilled by hospital staff under guidance of the chaplaincy teams.

Once a body is released from hospital to the mortuary, it will be in a sealed plastic bag which cannot be removed.

This means family and friends will not be able to see their loved one after their death.

At the funeral, more measures to try and prevent infection are also in place.

This means that no family members from the same household as the deceased person can be present if they are self-isolating – unless 14 days have passed since the first case before the funeral.

No one with symptoms or who is deemed extremely vulnerable should attend, and funeral prayers and cremation services will be limited to a maximum of ten mourners.

The pallbearers who carry the coffin to the burial site are limited to four people, and must not be showing any signs of coronavirus or have been in contact with anyone with the virus.

Social distancing protocols must be maintained ‘as best as possible’, including travelling to the graveyard, and the burial will be completed quickly.

Officers from Oldham Council are enforcing the limit on mourners at funerals.

A spokesperson added: “We recognise the significance and importance of ensuring that the end of life and burial process is just as important and special as it would be in other times and we are making every effort to respect people’s wishes and beliefs.

“We have been working with partners and communities to develop a process that takes into account the wishes of individuals, families and loved ones whilst carefully balancing these against the health, safety and wellbeing of everyone involved in the care at the final stages of a person’s life, including burial.

“There are currently no delays in the funeral process or issues with capacity, this may change in the next few weeks and we ask for people’s understanding during this difficult time.”

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