Canada

I used to be a funeral director in Ontario. This situation is unfortunately not uncommon. At least once a month I'd have a family that couldn't afford even the cheapest option ($3,500 at my last place). Local social services offices would cover the cost but only if the deceased was a recipient of local social services which, in my area, did not serve anyone over 65. That meant anyone who died after 65 automatically did not qualify for benefits. You're fault for living old!

The most common solution was for the family to leave the body unclaimed. The coroners office would eventually get around to writing a warrant to bury an unclaimed body. We would take that warrant to the local social services office who would then pay for the cost of burial.

Do you see the issue? Social services wouldn't pay for a burial unless the family left the body unclaimed, in which case, they would then pay for a burial. Not only does this cause extra pain and suffering, since the family no longer has a say in when and where their loved one is burried, it's even more of a tax burden to do it that way because the coroner's office needs to get involved.