[Death Kopitiam Exclusive] The Covid-19 "funeral surcharge"

In the past two months, Singapore saw an increase in the number of deaths relating to Covid-19 complications. In the first nineteen days of October, there have been 151 deaths relating to Covid-19 complications. This is more than 60% of total Covid deaths in Singapore thus far.

The mortuary at NCID

The Covid-19 funeral surcharge

Peter (not his real name), a senior funeral person in the industry, told us that there is a “Covid-19 funeral surcharge” of at least $800 to $1,300 in the industry for Covid-related funerals. This surcharge was introduced “some time last year [after the circuit breaker] when NEA and MOH announced guidelines for the handling of Covid-19 deceased”. He explained that when Covid-19 first struck, the industry “did not know what and how to charge” for the increased risk. He cited the example of hearse drivers charging thrice the pre-Covid rate due to “the required sanitisation” and the “fear of being infected”.

Presently, the surcharge, is mainly used to “cover the cost of the PPEs [personal protection equipments], sanitisation, one-time used items such as gloves, masks and face shields”, Peter told Death Kopitiam. 

Death Kopitiam understands that most funeral companies in the NEA-approved list will usually have dedicated teams to handle Covid-19 cases which require full PPE equipping and the disinfection process. Fees, we were told, “will be higher than the standard cremation process”. According to a news article on Channel 8 world, dated 18 October 2021, there are presently 140 funeral companies who have been granted approval by NEA to handle Covid-19 cases. However, this list is not made publicly available.

Entrance to the mortuary at Block 9 Singapore General Hospital

However for smaller funeral companies, Death Kopitiam understands, they run the risk of their entire operations team being infected with Covid-19, which would mean that they may need to suspend their operations. For more established companies with a larger workforce, they have multiple care teams that can be rotated and/or isolated in the event of a staff member testing positive for Covid-19.

Peter emphasised to Death Kopitiam the possible costs arising from the increase in manpower (“at least 3 to 4 persons to seal the casket within the mortuary and load it into the hearse”) required to handle Covid-19 cases. Hearse drivers, on their part, some of whom are sub-contractors of funeral companies, are afraid that their incomes may be severely affected if they are tested positive for Covid-19 – as such, a trip that usually cost $70 would now cost $140 to $210 or more.

Clara (not her real name), a funeral operations executive at a large funeral company, told Death Kopitiam that the Covid-19 surcharge is for the purpose of upgrading the casket from a basic casket to “a casket more suitable to handle Covid-19 cases”. She did not elaborate further, citing confidentiality. When asked whether the “surcharge” will be waived for vulnerable elderly or families in economic distress, she did not elaborate, merely citing that “my boss will decide”.

According to Yee Hui (not her real name), a funeral assistant at a newly established funeral company, one Covid-19 case involve the use of at least three sets of PPEs and face shield, which are not “exactly cheap but also not expensive enough to justify the $800 surcharge”.

For Ramakrishnan (not his real name), a funeral owner, he told Death Kopitiam that he would pay his staff a "hazard pay" - he did not mention the quantum of the hazard pay but he did, however, mentioned that he would also reimburse staff whenever necessary. To the best of his knowledge, for larger funeral firms with full-time staff, "the price hike [relating to Covid-19] does not trickle down to the staff".

No industry-wide consultation; price increase "arranged"

In a lengthy correspondence with Death Kopitiam, Peter lamented the lack of an “industry-wide” discussion to “decide” on the rates”. It depends, he said, “more on who your funeral director is and how far they are willing to go for you”, i.e. there is no industry-wide consensus on the pricing, and it is possible that some funeral companies may profiteer from this practice. How this $800 to $1,300 surcharge is derived is also unclear.

Ramakrishnan, who is familiar with the members of the Association of Funeral Directors Singapore (AFD), told Death Kopitiam that "as with every price increase, it will be framed as a suggestion [by the members]" and it will be followed by members of the Association". This same representative added, "the embalming fee and casket fee increase [last year] were "arranged". Official written communication, if any, between the Association and other funeral companies are few and far between, Ramakrishnan said.

Essentially, the Covid-19 surcharge goes towards the increase in costs arising from Covid-19, but as Death Kopitiam understands, there is no standardised price list and what constitutes an essential Covid-19 related cost to funeral owners is ill-defined. It is basically dependent on each funeral company and its owner’s perceptions and understanding of their risks when dealing with Covid-19 cases.  

As Peter puts it, “even if companies charge extra for [doing] Covid-19 cases, employees who does the work are not compensated for it”. This is the ugly truth and hypocrisy beneath the call to recognise frontline workers for their efforts during this pandemic. “Are we also not essential frontline workers? We are in this together, but somehow we feel left out by our employers, and sometimes by the society we live in”, Peter said.

On 20 October 2021, Death Kopitiam asked AFD for their comments on the following questions:

• Was there an industry-wide discussion prior to the implementation of this surcharge?  If so, what was the consensus on a particular cost that will be charged to the consumer?
  
  
• How does the Association determine any increase in prices, such as casket and embalming prices?

• As most Covid-19 deceased presently are mostly elderly persons, what is the Association's position on waiving the surcharge if the family of the deceased is unable to pay for it?

At the point of publication, we did not receive a reply from the Association.