Child funeral fund: Families in Northern Ireland to receive payments

A new fund to help families in Northern Ireland pay the cost of a funeral following the death of a child will be available from June.

The Child Funeral Fund will offer a one-off payment of £3,056 after the death of a child under 18.

The money will also be made available in the event of a still birth after 24 weeks.

The fund is not means-tested and will be available to all families regardless of their financial situation.

The Department of Communities, which is responsible for the fund, has said the application process for the money is still being finalised but it would ensure access would be made as simple as possible.

Similar schemes already exist elsewhere in the UK.

A burial fund was introduced in England in 2018 and fees for the burial or cremation of a child in Scotland were abolished in the same year.

A payment scheme towards funeral costs was introduced in Wales last year

In Northern Ireland, some councils have already chosen to waive burial costs for children.

Announcing the new fund, Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey said the money would support families at a time of "devastation and sadness".

"The Child Funeral Fund will lessen stress and anxiety for people during the most devastating of times," she said.