Fergus Wheeler, the founder of Death Without Debt, a national organisation campaigning and educating around funeral debt and dignity believes it's time to rethink how we approach end-of-life planning.
His experience in making funeral arrangements for both his father John, who died in 2017, and mother, Betty, who died in 2019 have made him a strong advocate for law change to make it easier for a family to do more of the organising themselves following the death of a family member.
Fergus will be running a workshop in Taupō on Thursday, May 1 to outline some practical steps to “maximise dignity and minimise debt.”
“We're trying to reduce funeral poverty,” he says.
“And the first step in that is just to let people know about the knowledge that every community used to have 50, 60 years ago, which was how to organise a community-led funeral process without paying thousands and thousands of dollars.”
In looking at how to drive down prices on the administrative side, he will cover end-of-life care, advanced care planning, wills, power of attorney, and probate, as well as what he calls the paperwork trap and avoiding “professional service” fees charged by funeral directors.
What should be avoidable costs he says, in the case of Taupō, can be between $1200 and $3000 depending on whether burial or cremation is chosen.
Practical things a family or whanau can do themselves prior to cremation or burial will also be discussed like care and transport of the body, when you need a coffin, when you don’t and coffin alternatives.
Ultimately, he says the aim is to break the current stranglehold on who must be involved and the mystery surrounding administrative practice in cremation or burial.
A more open and accessible system would reduce the current national average funeral cost of around $10,000.
The Death Without Debt workshop at Waiora House on May 1, runs from 1pm-5pm, $40 per person, $60 for two, or $70 family/whanau group of three. An option to make a donation or koha can be taken up by those for whom the entry fee presents a barrier.
Those interested should register on the website www.deathwithoutdebt.org.nz or email deathwithoutdebt@proton.me
Both keen conservationists, Fergus’ parents John, a surveyor, and Betty, a schoolteacher, were well known and respected in Taupō and Tūrangi.
