Heather Robinson
ONLY UNDERTAKERS like to bury the dead. Families wish they never have to face the reality of burying a loved one. And certainly there isn't a politician who has not had to assist with the burial of the dead. Death brings with it emotional and financial trauma. Death from natural causes can be a little less painful than sudden death which in our society is usually the result of murder or traffic accident. It is said that in life there is only one certainty, and that is death. The question then is why are we always so ill prepared for this, and what are the simple things we can do to make life after death less painful for the survivors.
While serving as the Member of Parliament for St. Catherine South Central, I assisted in burying over 50 men who had been murdered. The assistance ranged from the provision of white rum to the purchase of coffins and burial plots. None of the persons had independent means to facilitate their burials, and very few had families that could undertake all the expenses associated with a funerals. Usually, the murdered man left behind dependent children and parents, who after returning home from the funeral and internment had to face the reality of living without that support.
NOT CHEAP
Funerals are not cheap, and some who are least able to afford them want to have the most expensive coffins. There isn't a politician in Jamaica who cannot tell you stories of how they had to reason with bereaved families, while trying to explain that the type of funerals they wanted for their loved ones would not be possible.
As a life insurance agent for almost 20 years, I am always happy to deliver a death claim cheque to a beneficiary. Happy because the presence of money is one of the easiest ways to ease the emotional pain of death. Money to bury the dead provides the bereaved family with dignity, and removes the possibility of shame and embarrassment that is associated with having to literally beg to bury the dead. The longer families have to wait, as they seek to determine when the funerals will be, only creates additional pain and suffering that are the direct result of their inability to close that chapter of their lives.
Some will argue that they cannot afford to buy life insurance, but the bigger question is, can they afford not to? There are many Jamaican employers who provide their employees with group life insurance coverage, and in most cases it can bury the employee. But even if the group coverage was able to bury the employee, what about the dependent relatives' survival? Each of us should make the sacrifice and purchase some personal individual insurance that can cover last expenses including medical and funeral bills, as well as having a surplus to tide families over during the period when they seek to re-organise themselves.
COUPON POLICIES
There is good news from the life insurance industry for all Jamaicans. The younger you are, the cheaper the premium. There are coupon policies that do not require medicals, which can be purchased that will be able to bury you and do more. If you have a parent who is your responsibility in life and death, then you must at least enquire if that parent is eligible for one of these individual plans of life insurance. There is no worse indignity than being unable to bury one's parents.
If you are in that group of Jamaicans who think that you do not need one of these policies, which will pay the death claim within 48 hours of receipt of the completed claim, then think again. Disposing of assets such as shares or accessing bank accounts is not always simple, especially if the account was not joint. Life after death can be made much easier when there is the money to pay the bills. If you have never buried anyone, or done so recently, now might be a good time to visit an undertaker and get an idea of the actual costs.
We cannot predict when death will occur, but we can be prepared when it does happen. Financial preparation is therefore a must.
Heather Robinson is a life underwriter and a former Member of Parliament.
