Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department has considered extending eligibility for the Children’s Funeral Fund to include babies lost before 24 weeks’ gestation; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing financial support to parents arranging funerals for pregnancy losses occurring from 20 weeks onward.

Losing a baby is an unimaginably painful experience for any family. To help ease the financial burden during such a difficult time, the Children’s Funeral Fund for England provides support towards the cost of a funeral.

The Fund, established under the Social Fund (Children’s Funeral Fund for England) Regulations 2019, uses the definition of stillbirth set out in section 41 of the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953. This definition applies to babies lost after 24 weeks of pregnancy and is consistent with the Department for Work and Pensions Funeral Expenses Payment scheme.

The Department remains committed to regularly keeping the operation of the Children’s Funeral Fund under review to ensure it continues to meet the needs of bereaved families with compassion and care.