Governor Dannel Malloy is proposing paying less to bury the poor.
Malloy told legislators in his budget address that balancing the budget means hard choices. "The vast majority of these cuts are choices that, under ideal circumstances, Connecticut would not have to make," he said.
And here's one. The state now pays up to $1,800 for funeral and burial expenses of the indigent. Under Malloy's budget, the state would only pay $1,000 per person -- a change the state says could save the $3.4 million over the next two years.
The benefit is provided through the state's Department of Social Services, which pointed to data that shows that Connecticut currently pays "by far the highest in the nation."
Here's the state's current language on the benefit:
The Department pays for funeral and burial expenses of SAGA recipients and indigent persons (other than TFA or State Supplement recipients) who die without sufficient estate or legally-liable relatives able to pay for the cost of a proper funeral and burial. The Department’s maximum payment is $1,800 This amount is reduced by any amount in the estate (including the face value of burial and insurance policies), the amount of actual or expected contributions from legally liable relatives, and the amount of all other contributions (regardless of source) that exceed $2,800. Application must be made within one year of the date of death and may be filed by the funeral director, a family member, or any individual who made the funeral arrangements.
