A controversial plan from the Isle of Wight Council to charge grieving families watching a funeral online is going ahead — breaking a promise given to councillors.
As previously reported by Island Echo, the hike in fees for cremations and burials on the Island will be frozen while the authority undertakes a commercial review of the bereavement services. However, not all the fee increases were paused.
Councillor Chris Jarman, the cabinet member for strategic finances, confirmed the £55 fee to live stream a service held at the Isle of Wight Crematorium, in Whippingham, would go ahead, although will be scrutinised as part of the council’s upcoming commercialisation strategy.
Throughout the COVID pandemic and its subsequent lockdowns, the number of loved ones, family members and friends at funerals was hugely restricted. On the Island, this led to the introduction of online live streams so those who were unable to attend in person could say goodbye to their loved one virtually.
Between July 2020, when the service went live, and December 2021, 1,221 services, or 40.4% of the 3,026 held at the crematorium, have been live-streamed, free of charge. Previously the authority argued the live-stream has helped mourning relatives and friends feel part of the services they could not attend.
From 1st April though, the discretionary pay-to-view service will start — breaking a promise to councillors it would not be a ‘back door decision’.
Councillor Andrew Garratt raised the issue at the council’s February meeting when he had proposed to scrap the fee but withdrew the amendments to the Alliance’s budget only after getting assurances and promises it would go through public consultation and further council scrutiny.
It is thought the streaming would generate £30,000 – but could generate a lot more. The Alliance group had said introducing the fee would help cover the cost of running and maintaining the system, the licenses required to stream and also updating the equipment as technology advances.
The initial set-up costs of the service were covered by government money the authority received to pay for COVID-related costs — this included the equipment, cabling, infrastructure and licences for the streaming website, a council spokesperson has confirmed.
In figures obtained by the local democracy reporting service in a Freedom of Information request, the authority spent £2,040.96 in 2020 to get the service up and running. The only fee the council has paid since then is £840 for the streaming licence, once a year.
Until 31st March 2023, the entire cost to the council for the live streaming service is forecasted to be £3,720.96. At a £55 fee, the Isle of Wight Council would only have to stream 68 services to get its money back. On average, 68 services have been live-streamed per month since the facility was introduced — which means the council could make its money back in a month.
The only cost to have increased for the council so far is the video licence fee online, which has gone up £33.60 since 2020.
If the council had charged for the 1,221 streamed services held between July 2020 and December 2021, it would have made £67,155.
Absolutely terrible justification to charge for a stream service at a cremation, talk about taking advantage of grief stricken moments, it is an easy way of making money at bad time.
So use tax payers money to get this up and running then charge to watch
I really hope no one uses this so called service
they are not happy with ripping people off with the council tax now they want to rip people off at funerals can this bunch of prats in the council sink any lower to get there hands on our money only to waste it on things we don’t need
I’m not well up on this so I don’t really understand why there needs to be a fee at all? Isn’t this something similar to a Zoom call which just about every business uses now? Doesn’t it simply need switching on and allowing people to connect to watch the service? Most of the schools have been providing ‘live’ video lessons during the lockdowns and there were no charges for this. Obviously if it’s theres copyright music etc being broadcast then there would be licence fees but that can’t be anywhere near £55 for each and every funeral, more like a few pence each service.
Maybe I’m missing something because i just don’t get it.
why not fit a turnstile as well
charge people £ 15 to get in think how much that would raise as well
£15 is a bit cheap try £40
Don’t give them anymore idea’s ….
They really take the biscuit!!!!
And how much of this cruel levy on video streaming is going into their pension pot ????
And any residue what are they spending it on ??????
Probably never know !!!!!
The trurnstile would keep breaking down.
Or do a private live stream for free on YouTube
This council has a lot to answer for and one day all this sh1t will come and hopefully bite them hard
somehow the island ppl should stand together to teach these disgraceful people making Decisions which are being made behind closed doors by people who think they can rule everyone’s life.
Absolute disgrace
Yes, 100% right.
But what is the alternative?
Tory safe seat, so that won’t get rid.
If some people are serious about this,
Get organized, and maybe a little bit of civil disobedience at all of there council meetings ?
This Ukraine s**t, Puts a lot into perspective.
Sack the f’n lot of them !
following my earlier comment
what about charging a passenger drop off fee like they do at the airports roughly £ 15 a time
albeit the passenger they drop off wont dispute this fee
and charge for parking
how about say £4 for 15 minutes
then £5 for every ten minutes there after
I should be head of finance at the council
just think how much revenue I could raise to pay for the staff of county hall
WHO FAILED TO SEE WHAT THIS WOULD GENERATE
Couldn’t do that it would cost £19 for parking for a service that is 45 minutes
No black ties then just Budweiser and burgers on the table
How low can this council sink too?
Obviously lower than the people they are supposed to represent thought they would go.
Can anyone name something that the people want that this council has given us?
Not easy is it?
All i can say is DO NOT USE THIS ROBBERY SERVICE.
Disgusting greedy council at it again
I understand the council’s need to fill the huge hole in their finding but this charge attempts to cynically prey on people at their most vulnerable.
it will merely upset and annoy people and definitely not bring in the money they claim.
Why would anyone pay to watch the council webcam when anyone attending could stream it to them for free over Zoom?
Hopefully the national media will get hold of this and shame them into reversing the decision.
I’ll be live streaming for my relatives for free from my own mobile if/when I attend again! How dare the council even contemplate this preposterous idea. People are grieving enough without being robbed blind in addition. I see a rise in direct cremations and people spending their hard owned money celebrating their lost one’s lives on return of ashes. Nasty council
The IWC NEVER disappoint me in their ability to sink ever lower. Vile and disgusting.. I really hope that they are shamed nationally, it is the very least that they deserve.
All those figures just to confuse, why can I or anyone else stream for free,YouTube, WhatsApp,facetime,due, zoom etc Council only have to pay if they charge people. Guess they have to make money to pay £170,000 for illuminated signs to tell us when floaty not/is running.