Bereavement

• St Joseph’s Hospice (City & Hackney)

  St Joseph’s Hospice (City & Hackney) offers bereavement support and counselling, individually or with other family members.  They also have a specific young person’s offer. 
  This is currently available via telephone, online and a bereavement support forum.  Individuals can request a referral from their GP or other professionals, or contact St Joseph’s First Contact team directly.
  
  Phone
  0300 3030 0400
  
  Website
  St Joseph’s Hospice (City & Hackney)
  
  Email
  stjosephs.firstcontact@nhs.net

• City and Hackney Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)

  City and Hackney Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) provides support and services to children and young people experiencing mental health problems, including bereavement.  Children and young people can be referred by their GP, Family Support Practitioner, Health Visitor, School Staff or Social Worker.
  Young people who are 16 years or over and who have accessed the service within the last year can also self-refer.
  
  Website
  City and Hackney Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
  
  Phone
  0203 222 5600

• The Compassionate Friends

  The Compassionate Friends offer support to families after the death of a child of any age and from any cause. All volunteers are bereaved parents and clients can select whether they would prefer to speak to a bereaved mother or father.
  
  Phone
  0345 123 2304 (open every day from 10am-4pm and 7-10pm)
  
  Website
  The Compassionate Friends
  
  Email
  helpline@tcf.org.uk

• Grief encounter

  Grief encounter provide free support to bereaved children and their families to help alleviate the pain caused by the death of someone close.
  
  Phone
  0808 802 0111 (Mon to Fri 9am-9pm)
  
  Website
  Grief encounter
  
  Email
  grieftalk@griefencounter.org.uk

• Grief in Pieces

  Coping with the loss of a loved one is always difficult, and losing someone to suicide can make grief even more confusing and difficult to navigate. You’ll probably experience shock, and denial, and you might even feel guilt – blaming yourself for missing the signs of suicidal behaviour. That’s where Grief in Pieces comes in.
  
  Website
  Grief in Pieces

• The New Normal Charity

  The New Normal Charity offers free, open and non-judgemental, peer-to-peer bereavement support, providing the opportunity to talk to others with similar life experiences.  Virtual and face to face meetings are offered, some local to Hackney.
  
  Website
  The New Normal Charity

Help with funeral costs

There is support available if you need help with the cost of a funeral or need to access bereavement benefits. If you are struggling to pay for a funeral and your only source of funding is the Funeral Expenses Payment (see below), you are advised to tell the funeral director before committing to any arrangements.

• Government Funeral Expenses Payment

  Government Funeral Expenses Payment (you may be eligible if you receive certain benefits or tax credits and this can either be paid to an individual or directly to the funeral director, though the payment will not usually cover all the costs of the funeral).
  
  Website
  Government Funeral Expenses Payment

• Bereavement Support Payment

  Bereavement Support Payment is not means-tested. This means what you earn or how much you have in savings will not affect what you get.
  When your partner died, you must have been:
  – under State Pension age
  – living in the UK or a country that pays bereavement benefits
  – married to your partner, in a civil partnership with them, or living with them as if you were married.
  
  Website
  Bereavement Support Payment

• Money Advice Service

  Paying for a funeral can be expensive. We’ll help you work out who should pay, and outline your options for how to pay for one – from where to find financial help to claiming funeral costs from the estate.
  
  Website
  Money Advice Service

• Guardian’s Allowance

  You could get Guardian’s Allowance if you’re bringing up a child whose parents have died. You may also be eligible if there’s one surviving parent.
  
  Website
  Guardian’s Allowance

• Quaker Social Action

  Quaker Social Action provides support for people struggling with funeral costs. This includes support via a pre-funeral advice line, dealing with a bill post-funeral and other useful resources.
  
  Website
  Quaker Social Action

• Child Funeral Charity

  We, the Child Funeral Charity (CFC) assist families financially in England and Wales who have to arrange a funeral for a baby or child aged 16 or under. Whilst many funeral directors, the clergy and most celebrants do not charge fees, there are other funeral related expenses that bereaved parents struggle to find.
  
  Website
  Child Funeral Charity

• Final Farewell

  Final Farewell provides financial assistance, advice and guidance to grieving families from all religions and backgrounds so they may provide an affordable and decent funeral for their loved child.
  
  Website
  Final Farewell

• Friends of the Elderly

  Friends of the Elderly’s grants programme is designed to assist older individuals facing financial difficulties. Our aim is to provide support to older people who are struggling to make ends meet, and to ensure they are able to live with dignity and in comfort.
  
  Website
  Friends of the Elderly

• Turn2us

  Turn2us is a national charity offering information and practical help to people facing financial insecurity, including that related to bereavement.
  
  Website
  Turn2Us