Carolyn Harris won support of Theresa May for campaign she led since losing her son in 1989

Child burial fees are to be waived after a campaign led by an MP who needed a loan to bury her eight-year-old son after he was killed in a car accident.

Carolyn Harris, the MP for Swansea East, had called on the government to cover the costs of burials and cremations to help parents struggling to pay for their child’s funeral.

Theresa May, the prime minister, has announced the establishment of the Children’s Funeral Fund, which will pay for the costs of the burials and bring England in line with Wales.

Harris said: “I celebrated last year when the Welsh government gave me the Children’s Funeral Fund, I’ve celebrated when every local authority right across this country has done this.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Carolyn Harris MP hands out free lunches to children in Swansea. Her son Martin was killed in a car accident and she struggled to pay the burial fees. Photograph: Dimitris Legakis/Athena Pictures

“But at last after so much pressure and so much time, families right across the United Kingdom can know that if they’re ever in that terrible, terrible position when they lose a child, that there will now be a pot of money available to make sure that child has a dignified and respectful funeral.

Harris has long campaigned on the issue, with her eight-year-old son Martin having been killed in 1989, having previously said the establishment of a fund was “the dignified, compassionate and sympathetic thing to do”.

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May hailed the “dignity and strength” of Harris, adding: “No parent should ever have to endure the unbearable loss of a child – a loss that no amount of time will ever truly heal. But in the raw pain of immediate loss, it cannot be right that grieving parents should have to worry about how to meet the funeral costs for a child they hoped to see grow into adulthood. In the darkest moment of any parent’s life there is little light – but there can be support.

“That is why I have asked for the Children’s Funeral Fund to be set up in England. For Carolyn, in memory of her son Martin, and in support of all those parents overwhelmed by such harrowing loss.”

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the establishment of a fund was “very welcome and wonderful news”.



Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) This is very welcome and wonderful news. A simple piece of dignity for bereaved families.



Huge credit to @CarolynHarris24 and the Sunday Mirror who tirelessly kept up the pressure when the Government was dragging its feet.https://t.co/WBb2SOAbbI

He said: “This is a simple piece of dignity for bereaved families across the country, secured through tenacious campaigning by Labour’s Carolyn Harris who tirelessly kept up the pressure when the government was dragging its feet. No parent who has gone through the heart-breaking experience of losing a child should be left struggling to cover the cost of a funeral.”

In her Easter message on Sunday, the prime minister hailed the “triumph of the human spirit” in the wake of last year’s terror attacks and the Grenfell Tower fire. May said she had seen for herself how survivors and victims had drawn strength from their families and their communities.

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May, the daughter of a vicar, said the message of the Bible story offered the “inspiring promise of new life” in times of adversity.

“Easter is the most important time in the Christian calendar. A time when we remember Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, and give thanks for the promise of redemption afforded by his resurrection,” she said.

“Over the last year, Britain has faced some dark moments, from the terrorist attacks at Westminster Bridge and London Bridge, at Manchester Arena and Finsbury Park, and the fire at Grenfell Tower.

“I know from speaking to the victims and survivors of these terrible events how vital the love and support they have received from their friends, family and neighbours has been to them as they begin to rebuild their lives. In the bravery of those facing adversity, the dedication of our emergency services, and the generosity of local communities, we see the triumph of the human spirit.

“The Easter story contains an inspiring promise of new life and the triumph of hope. For Christians around the world facing persecution, the message of the cross and the resurrection help them to stand firm in their faith.”