The gradual easing of restrictions – NAFD initial response
Although there are no immediate changes to the numbers of people permitted to attend a…
England: Policing Minister clarifies liability over enforcing COVID restrictions at funerals
In a response to the NAFD's letter and recent Parliamentary Questions, Minister of State for…
England: Interim advice to funeral directors regarding liability of funeral firms over attendance breaches
Given the urgent need to clarify the situation, for all funeral directors, regarding liability over…
The UK marks the loss of 100,000 people to COVID-19
Today we mark the loss of more than 100,000 people who have died within 28…
NAFD response to police force fining funeral director for unexpected additional mourners turning up at funeral
With reference to this story: https://www.whtimes.co.uk/news/crime/mansfield-man-issued-with-fine-after-large-funeral-6922746 Funeral directors do not invite mourners to funerals. They…
England: Shadow Economic Secretary records his thanks to funeral directors for their ‘sensitive’ work during the pandemic
During a debate on funeral plan regulation in the House of Commons on 19 January…
Northern Ireland: firms reminded not to breach COVID rules
Last week, the NAFD received several reports that funeral directors in Northern Ireland were placing…
England: updated guidance reflecting lockdown restrictions published on GOV.UK
Updated funeral guidance for England, reflecting lockdown restrictions, has been published on the Government website.…
England: Lateral flow testing for funeral workers
Rapid (lateral flow) testing is now being rolled out across England and, as a profession that…
Update: vaccination of frontline funeral workers
Through our work with local resilience forums/partnerships across England, Wales and Scotland and the Department…
Scotland: Updated guidance for funeral directors published
The Scottish Government has today published updated guidance for funeral directors, burial and cremation authorities…
Will funeral workers be prioritised for the vaccine?
After the NAFD and other members of the Deceased Management Advisory Group made extensive representations…
England: funeral service attendance limits unchanged by lockdown announcement, but linked events now limited to six people
The Government's lockdown guidance for England, which becomes law on Wednesday 6 January (but which…
Scotland: Funeral service attendance limits unchanged by Lockdown announcement – but wakes prohibited on mainland
As part of the new lockdown measures for all areas of Scotland currently in level…
England: tier 4 funeral restrictions – from 20 December 2020
On 19 December 2020, the Government announced Tier 4 restrictions for parts of England. In…
Changes made to funeral guidance in Northern Ireland
From today (11 December) the maximum number of 25 mourners allowed at a funeral in…
England: updated long-form guidance on managing a funeral published
Please click here to download the latest version of Public Health England's long form guidance…
Changes made to funeral guidance in Wales
The Welsh Government has updated the guidance on managing and attending a funeral from today…
Our frontline: mental health & bereavement support for funeral service employees
The NAFD has teamed up with Our Frontline to secure valuable mental health and bereavement…
No change to funeral restrictions when England returns to tier system
On 3 December, when the lockdown ends in England, the country will return to a…
Guidance: enforcing COVID restrictions at funerals
The NAFD is aware of concern among funeral directors over where liability for enforcement of…
Scotland: Temporary Changes to the Death Certification Review Service
The Death Certification Review Service (DCRS), run by Healthcare Improvement Scotland, checks on the accuracy…
Wales: wakes may once again be held following completion of fire-break lockdown
Following the end of the fire-break lockdown, wakes may now be held for up to…
Funeral restrictions during the England lockdown
Having now reviewed the draft regulations, which were passed in a vote today in Parliament,…
Scotland: Guidance to funeral sector – localised tier system
The Scottish Government has updated its guidance to the funeral sector in the light of…
UK: Summary table of funeral restrictions in all four home nations
Please click below for the latest revision (30 October 2020) to the Cabinet Office Civil…
Scotland: contact tracing in complex environments
The Scottish Government has shared guidance on contact tracing in complex environments with the NAFD.…
England & Wales: COVID positive/symptomatic people can attend funerals – but Government advice remains not to.
Updated regulations in England and Wales exempt bereaved people who are symptomatic of, or have…
Clarification on wearing of face coverings in funeral vehicles
here have been lots of questions about face coverings in funeral vehicles. This morning (2 October…
New COVID regulations in force today across much of the UK – what do they mean?
Today, the latest set of COVID-19 regulations comes into force across much of the UK…
How does the rule of six affect funerals?
The new ‘rule of six’ laws (enacted on 14 September) do not apply to funeral services (burials or cremations, or religious ceremonies directly associated with burials and cremations) unless specified in areas of local lockdown.
Face coverings mandatory for indoor funeral services in England and Scotland
From Saturday 8 August, face coverings must be worn by members of the public: attending…
Face coverings to be mandatory for all indoor funeral services in England
Yesterday afternoon (3 August) at a meeting of the Deceased Management Advisory Group, the Government…
The government changes face coverings guidance for visitors to funeral homes in England
Late on Friday (31 July), it was announced that face coverings would be mandatory for…
Cabinet Office confirms that funeral homes are exempt from face coverings regulation in England
The Cabinet Office has clarified that visitors to funeral homes in England are exempt from…
Scotland: Scottish Government increases number of people allowed at a funeral
Up to 20 people will be allowed to attend funerals Categories of who can attend…
England: Public Health England updates guidance on managing a funeral/care of the deceased
The Public Health England Managing a Funeral during COVID-19 guidance has today (9 July 2020)…
Regulations laid before parliament to ease restrictions on funeral gatherings
Today, Saturday 4 July, the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No.2) (England) Regulations 2020 were updated,…
Northern Ireland: Updated guidance for NI funeral directors on managing COVID infection risks
Updated guidance on managing infection risks from deceased persons infected with COVID-19 has been released…
VAT exemption on PPE extended to end of October
HM Treasury has extended the period during which VAT is not payable on Personal Protective…
Thousands of names added to UK COVID memorial
More than 4,000 names have already been added to the virtual memorial for all those…
Church funeral services in England to recommence
The Church of England has confirmed that funeral services will be able to be held…
Help Cruse Scotland to support bereaved people during COVID-19
Cruse Scotland has asked for the assistance of funeral directors in Scotland them by reminding…
Department of Health in Northern Ireland updates guidance for funeral firms
The latest “COVID-19 Updated Guidelines for Funeral Directors on Managing Infection Risks when Handling the…
Coalition of support builds for Crisis Funeral Loan proposals
A coalition of support is building around the NAFD’s proposal for a Funeral Crisis Loan, which is continuing to put pressure on the Government to introduce the loan to help bereaved people during the COVID-19 crisis.
NAFD presses Government to introduce Crisis Funeral Loan
The National Association of Funeral Directors is today (20 May 2020) urging the Government to introduce a Crisis Funeral Loan to assist thousands of bereaved people having to unexpectedly pay for a funeral.
Protocol for care homes and funeral directors during COVID-19
The NAFD has published a protocol to ensure that funeral directors and providers of care in a residential setting are fully aware of the risks posed when an individual dies in a residential care setting and is either confirmed to have had COVID-19, or is suspected to have had it.
Updated PHE guidance released on caring for deceased
Following consultation with the NAFD and others, Public Health England has published an update to its guidance on care of the deceased with suspected or confirmed Coronavirus (COVID-19).