, Minister for Finance and
Local Government: The loss of a child is devastating for
a family. Providing practical support for those families
continues to be important to Welsh Ministers. I am grateful to
all partners who help provide compassionate and pragmatic
services to those affected by such a difficult loss.
In 2017, the Welsh Government, the Welsh Local Government
Association (WLGA) and One Voice Wales (OVW) agreed arrangements
to waive burial or cremation fees for children and young people
under 18 years old.
A review in 2019 found that these arrangements had provided a
positive step in achieving better consistency in relation to the
waiving of charges for child burial or cremation across Wales.
However, many families were still burdened with the stress and
worry about paying for other funeral costs.
Since April 2021, the Welsh Government has provided additional
financial support to help towards these costs, with £500 being
made available to any family in Wales which has lost a child.
This is a universal offer regardless of the family’s income,
although there is no obligation to accept the payment should the
family not want it. Families have used the money in a number of
ways, including towards the cost of memorials and headstones as
well as supporting funeral costs.
My officials have reviewed the funding with the support of the
Child Bereavement Working Group, which is made up from members
across local government, the Registrars Service and the WLGA.
I have agreed that the Welsh Government will continue to provide
funding to local authorities to support both aspects of the
arrangement – waiving fees and the additional support for
bereaved families. An updated Memorandum of Understanding has
been signed by the Welsh Government, the WLGA and OVW to reaffirm
our collective commitment to supporting bereaved families.
