Should we be burdened with the costs associated to funerals or as a citizen should the government pay?

Question

A member or members of the family dies and the surviving members are required to pay for excessive funeral costs which through no fault of their own burdens them in debt on top of coping with the greiving process of loosing a love one/s! What do you think about this?

I just wanted to add a couple of things. 1) I have seen families fight and fracture associated with the distribution and payment of funeral costs, also people are vunrable due to grief at this time and targeted by funeral sales people. 2) I am talking about a standard funeral or cremation and not how shamefully our governments treat the dead of the poor or unclaimed dead!

Answer 1

I beleive they should we pay taxes and work very hard for our benifets and they should help out since in someway he helped this goverment with your sweat help the economy..

Answer 2

This is one of the costs that come out of the Estate of the deceased. Paying for ones funeral is part of why we hold steady jobs. It's a one-time cost and need not be terribly expensive either. It's becoming more and more popular for people to choose cremation rather than going through an expensive service and casket, plus the burial plot. Cremation is rather simple with little cost.

The government shouldn't be paying for these kind of personal choice things. The government should rather start paying for citizens' medical care so that people can have quality of life instead of sickness and early death.

Of course you do realize when you suggest the 'government' pay, you mean the citizens of this country. We are supposedly the government and somehow or other, the taxes we pay have managed to support incredibly ridiculous studies while neglecting this one truly important thing.

Answer 3

I agree with some of the other responders here in asking the government to deal with death seems like it would be cold and uncaring. But I also agree with you that the funeral costs can be a burden.

You might find some sensitive cost saving ideas in Jessica Mitford's book, "The American Way of Death". It should be at your local library.

Death is a topic our culture really shys away from. We want to pretend it doesn't exist, so when it comes up we, many times, are shocked. For instance, did you know that it can take 1 to 4 years to go through the grieving process? That is a lot longer than most people would guess. And here, our culture implies we should just get over it and move on.

Answer 4

Speaking from experience, as consumers, we must be savvy when making decisions about funeral details. The person is dead and cannot experience the comforts of the expensive items purchased at the funeral home. If relatives say you are cheap, tell them to put up money or shut up. Cremation is the least expensive way to remember someone. A person can even keep the urn in their home. None of this has anything to do with the government except for unscrupulous funeral directors preying on people in times of sorrow and grief.

Answer 5

If you think the funeral costs are excessive, plane a cheaper funeral. Perhaps the recipients of the dead person's estate will use part of the money to cover the funeral.

But I would rather not have the government decide what kind of funeral to have - would you?

Answer 6

There are actually laws to govern this. If a family can not afford the funeral, they do not claim the body. A family can refuse to claim a body for any reason.

All unclaimed bodies are then either cremated or buried in special state owned cemetaries. This is actually a lot more common than you think.

Answer 7

I think people ought to take out insurance to cover the cost of their own funerals. When you ask if the government should pay really you are suggesting people pay taxes to cover the cost of someone else's death. The amount of tax I'd end up paying over a lifetime would far outweight the cost of a funeral for a family member. No thanks.

Answer 8

It is not the job of the government to take money from some, in the form of taxes, and use it to provide for someone else's funeral! Why do you not blame the people who, for whatever reason, did not make arrangements for their own final service before they died?

Answer 9

Pay for maybe a couple or get taxed for every funeral that will ever take place in the U.S.

Does that really require a response?

Answer 10

You know that's gonna happen... government pay....lol!
I do think that "funeral tax" is a good idea. We hold out for medicare, 401K etc... because we all know one day we will be old and unable to work. Why not hold out for funeral expenses because one thing for sure is WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE ONE DAY!
So many children are left paying for funerals of parents.....It's unreal... something needs to be done!

Answer 11

Move to a communist country if thats how you want to live. Personally I think the person who wants the government taking care of their every need from cradle to grave is pathetic.

What's wrong didn't you think you were going to die one day. How about a little foresight.

I have a novel idea, LIFE INSURANCE. Christ, whats next with you people.