Finnish musician forced to seek help from friends to cover mother’s burial costs

A musician in Oulu has had to rely on friends to cover his mother’s burial expenses after her sudden death in February left him facing mounting costs, Yle reports.

Janne Aslak Räsänen, 48, said he has already accrued €1,650 in burial-related debts this spring, with further bills still pending. To cut costs, he trimmed pine branches from his own yard for the coffin decoration and skipped a memorial service entirely. Even the post-funeral coffee was only possible after a couple offered blueberry pie, coffee, and oat milk.

“When you suddenly have to start digging into your savings for different expenses, on top of the emotional shock and grief, it feels like an extra burden,” Räsänen said.

His annual income hovers around €10,000, supplemented by social security and housing benefits. Government cuts to these benefits—amounting to hundreds of euros—hit just before his mother’s death, leaving him with no financial cushion.

Räsänen, who works as a self-employed music teacher, now fears he may have to sell his instruments to pay the bills, risking his livelihood.

The financial strain is compounded by rising burial fees, as state funding cuts to the Evangelical Lutheran Church have forced parishes to increase charges. Church funding has dropped 23% since 2024, with an additional €8.5 million in cuts planned through 2030.

Juho Laatikainen of the Church Administration noted that shifting burial costs entirely onto church members—including those of non-members—would raise constitutional concerns over equality and religious freedom.

Burial remains a state-mandated service, Laatikainen stressed, but funding shortfalls are pushing costs onto grieving families. Räsänen estimates his total expenses, including probate, will exceed €3,000—with even a two-kilometre transport from the hospital to the cemetery costing €300.

Welfare districts offer burial assistance, but only after probate, as supplementary social aid.