Opinion: WINZ Funeral Grant processes compound grief and stress for families
By Gillian Boyes, Chief Executive, Funeral Directors Association of New Zealand
This opinion follows a Stuff report about a grieving father who was initially told by Work and Income that its Funeral Grant did not cover key costs associated with his son’s funeral. The experience reflects concerns the Funeral Directors Association have raised for years about the administration and adequacy of the Funeral Grant.
Being declined payment of the Work and Income (WINZ) Funeral Grant because the grant “does not cover funerals” is up there in terms of ludicrous Government agency decisions, but our member firms see multiple examples every year of inconsistency, inefficiency and sometimes downright intransigence from MSD staff.
In 2023 we asked our member firms about the effectiveness of the WINZ Funeral Grant and were told resoundingly that not only was it woefully inadequate to cover reasonable funeral costs, but that administrative issues compounded the stress and impact on dignity for grieving families.
Members told us:
- "Every case manager has a different requirement on process”
- "Not being paid the full amount with no explanation"
- “Terrible to get payment from, sometimes lost in system, don’t help when asked, payment is only a portion of the account, time it takes to get payment”
Some branches refuse to allow emailed applications. Those in small towns with no bank might have to travel to another town to get a physical bank statement. In one case a family was told they had to drive from Levin to Hamilton to lodge their application because that’s where their WINZ file was held.
To give credit, MSD does appear to have listened to some of the concerns we raised and now cover some costs not previously covered.
Previously death certificates weren’t included – now they make the list on the WINZ website. Likewise interment costs are now included – again previously they’d cover the plot but not the digging of the hole. Catering including kai for a tangihanga is also now on the list.
But judgement and some knowledge of what a funeral entails is still required and it’s here where the system breaks down.
In this case, the initial decision was that embalming wasn’t essential and wouldn’t be covered. Yet MSD’s own information is inconsistent. Its main Funeral Grant webpage says the grant can cover “any professional services fees charged by a funeral director”, without specifically mentioning embalming, while another Work and Income page explicitly lists embalming as an example of a professional service that may be covered. If families – and potentially staff – are being given different levels of information depending on which MSD webpage they read, it is hardly surprising that inconsistent decisions follow. Grieving families should not have to navigate that confusion.
Worryingly in this case MSD staff told the family the cost of the hearse, AV hire and funeral directors fees wouldn’t be covered either. Yet the WINZ funeral grant public webpage explicitly names the hearse and funeral director fees, and the detailed guidance tells staff that even if a cost doesn’t specifically fit into a category they must determine if it is reasonable and can use their discretion to include it in their assessment.
Inevitably our members now look for MSD offices where they have built a relationship with staff. Where there are staffers who are kinder and more compassionate in dealing with grieving families and where they are able to adequately explain decisions, even if they are not the decision the family wants to hear.
Navigating the bureaucracy of Government is tough at the best of times. When that bureaucracy resorts to ridiculous language – “the funeral grant doesn’t cover funerals” – and fails to follow its own guidelines, we despair for the families we serve.
But fixing the administration is only part of the answer.
The maximum Funeral Grant is currently $2,697.43. Our members told us in 2023 that the grant was woefully inadequate to meet the cost of a reasonable funeral, and our Association continues to advocate for the Government to increase it.
Families who qualify for this assistance are already among those least able to absorb an unexpected funeral bill. They should not also have to navigate inconsistent decisions, unnecessary bureaucracy and a level of financial assistance that falls well short of the reasonable funeral costs it is intended to help meet.
We want to see a Funeral Grant that is adequate for today’s funeral costs, administered consistently across the country, and delivered by a system that recognises it is dealing with people at one of the most difficult times in their lives.
Every New Zealander deserves dignity in death. Let’s make funeral grants fairer, more modern and more humane.