Index – National – More and more complaints: funeral companies have raised prices

In the situation caused by the coronavirus, the less than 500 companies in Hungary that deal with funerals or related services have an annual income of 15-20 billion HUF, the growth website’s analysis reads.

In the situation caused by the epidemic, funeral costs may also be an additional expense, based on information received from various funeral service providers and relatives of the deceased. According to experts, depending on whether they are buried or cremated in a coffin, in which cemetery, how they will be buried and in what ceremony the relatives will say goodbye to the deceased, the costs will be very high.

It was also not cheap before the epidemic

Even before the epidemic, funeral expenses imposed huge additional costs on family members. The most economical placement of the urn is around 200 thousand florins, the placement of the ashes in the cemetery urn is minimally more expensive. The price of the usual coffin burial depends mainly on the quantity of the grave. It can be bought for less than 20 thousand florins in the cemetery of a small rural town, while in the capital it can be ordered ten times more. Along with the bowing services, the coffin award, and the cost of saying goodbye, the entire ceremony can easily reach the order of a million.

Goodbye in the shadow of the pandemic

– reported the Index of the National Association of Funerals and Industries (OTEI), which represents the majority of companies of worship.

While writing, families decide how to say goodbye based on their beliefs and financial means. In Budapest, around 80 percent request a post-cremation location, in larger cities this number is slightly lower, around 60-70 percent, while in villages this proportion is only 30-35 percent. .

The epidemic situation requires the acquisition and regular use of the necessary and prescribed protective equipment. The continued use of protective clothing, gloves and masks, as well as car disinfection, have generated additional costs. To perform tasks safely, labor must also be guaranteed to employers, which often means overtime, reassignment of labor.

While several have complained that funeral homes have raised prices since the first emergency declaration, they refute it. According to the national agencies in the area, the mandatory separate transport of protection and disinfection equipment and of those who have died from the infection is an additional expense for companies, but is not borne by families.

OTEI added that the administration of funeral services may differ from region to region and from service provider. In more and more places, non-personal contact management (via the Internet, by phone) is being introduced or recommended and many service providers are taking over the management of relatives of the deceased. That way, you don’t have to go to the hospital, to the municipality, to look for the necessary papers for the funeral.

Currently, OTEI represents 250-260 companies, those that are considered bound by their code of ethics. This basically means fair conduct in the market and compliance with legal requirements, such as not advertising within a 200 meter radius of hospitals or displaying your price list on your website.

This is also confirmed by Ákos Zelei, an employee of Fekete Rózsa based in Eger, according to him.

According to him, the incineration fee has increased minimally, but this amount is not significant.

It turned out that negative statistics are detected immediately. In December, they had a lot of work to do, the fridge was full almost every day, the goodbyes slipped and they can still only hold the funeral 1.5-2 weeks after the death certificate was issued. According to Ákos Zelei, most people ask for cremation, but the law does not prohibit a person who has died from a coronavirus from being buried in a coffin.

The expert recalled that under the disease control restrictions introduced in November, a maximum of fifty people could attend the funeral ceremonies. In his opinion, the funeral ceremony is the greatest danger, since several families can meet in a small place. This risk also exists if someone did not die from complications from the coronavirus. He added that there is no fear of a total ban on funerals or the closure of cemeteries for now.

The owner of another funeral home in the capital, who did not want to identify himself, betrayed so much that they were forced to increase costs over the past year. The price increase is due to mandatory tasks, the use of protective equipment and disinfection.

In a double bag

Recognizing the situation of the epidemic, the National Institute of Public Health soon issued a procedure for the storage, transportation and burial of those who died from the coronavirus last year, at the time of the first wave of the virus. According to this, after general disinfection of the surface, the deceased should be placed in a double leak-proof plastic bag, which should be disinfected, and then the corpse is placed in a casket of adequate strength, airtight and with proper cap. During the procedure, special care must be taken to disinfect the truck immediately.

Both funeral directors noted that relatives follow epidemiological regulations, but funeral service providers rarely verify exactly how many show up at the ceremony. Those who appear without a mask and do not maintain a distance of 1.5 meters are drawn to comply with epidemiological regulations. Under disease control restrictions introduced in November, there may be a maximum of fifty people at funeral ceremonies, including officials.

However, meeting this is sometimes difficult, as reported by the Index. In December last year, in a settlement in Nógrád county, too many people showed up at the ceremony, so the priest left the mourners. According to an eyewitness account, the parishioner arrived almost at the last minute and, after a quick count, concluded that the number of those who appeared exceeded fifty. Then, according to the newspaper, he said that he could not hold the funeral in light of this, and left the mourners behind. Finally, under the leadership of the cantor, the deceased was placed on final rest.

(Cover image: Pécs public cemetery on October 31, 2020. Photo: Tamás Sóki / Index)