The elderly grandmother is struggling to pay for funeral expenses after the death of both her son and daughter.

A grandmother with a disability who tragically lost two of her children within a span of two years was unable to afford the cost of heating her home after having to pay thousands of dollars in funeral expenses.

Carole Collins shared that the weight of funeral expenses took a toll on her, causing sleepless nights and loss of appetite while she was grieving.

The 62-year-old from Andover lost her son, Wayne Eastman, after he took his own life on 20 May 2018. Despite only being able to afford the “bare minimum” for his funeral, the cost still racked up to approximately £4,500.

“Ms. Collins shared with The Independent that her son’s passing at 33 years old was a sudden and unforeseen event. Due to financial constraints, they were unable to cover the costs of his funeral and turned to a GoFundMe page as a solution. However, the campaign only managed to raise £200.”

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Ms Collins received approximately £1,000 from the government as a beneficiary for her son’s service, but she was responsible for covering the remaining costs.

Unfortunately, she experienced another tragic loss when her daughter, Nicky Wren, passed away on May 16, 2020 after a lengthy struggle with cancer.

The mother who was mourning had to shoulder the emotional and financial duties of caring for her 39-year-old’s three kids and pets, as well as covering the costs of the funeral.

The total expenses amounted to approximately £3,898, not including additional fees for a burial plot and headstone.

Ms. Collins was given approximately £1,000 by the government to help cover the funeral expenses. However, she still had to pay the remaining amount from her own savings. This added to her financial strain, especially since she also took on the responsibility of caring for her daughter’s children.

She stated that she could survive on just toast and coffee if it was only her, but due to having children, she was unable to reduce her grocery expenses.

“When experiencing financial concerns, it can be difficult to sleep at night. Many people remarked that I had lost weight. I struggled to eat anything.”

According to SunLife’s 2024 Cost of Dying report, the UK is facing a record high cost for funerals, causing notable financial worries for one in five families.

Following her daughter’s funeral, Ms. Collins stated that it took her approximately 12 months to gain control of her financial situation.

She explained that she was unable to pay any of her bills, including credit card debt, council tax, and loans. As a result, she couldn’t afford to use the heater during the winter.

I was forced to enter into an IVA (individual voluntary arrangement) as I had no other option. It felt like constantly taking from one source to pay another. It’s impossible to sustain a living in this country and even more impossible to afford death.

It has been almost four years since Nicky’s death, and Ms. Collins is still dealing with the expenses accrued from his funeral.

She stated that once one thing begins to fall apart, the rest will follow suit like a domino effect.

SunLife’s recent report has revealed that the average expenses for those who have lost a loved one have significantly increased to £9,658. This amount encompasses the cost of a funeral, professional fees, and other final tribute expenses, and marks the highest amount in the 20-year period that SunLife has been monitoring these costs.

The most recent update reveals that the cost of a simple funeral in the United Kingdom, which covers the expenses for either a burial or cremation, all fees for the funeral director, a medium-priced coffin, one funeral car, and payments for a doctor and celebrant, has risen to £4,141 compared to £3,953 last year.

If you require assistance, you can contact Samaritans at 116 123 at any time of the day or night.

Source: independent.co.uk