Donald Neech

Donald never told me about any friends or family, I volunteered to take him shopping during lockdown and we continued every week until I had to return to work. After that he still thought I was his social worker and continued to ring me to ask me to take him shopping, even though I was back to full time work, he often complained that I was rubbish at my job! At one point he had a hospital appointment and I said it was okay to put me as next of kin, because who else could he call?? He never took me off the form as his next of kin, so when he died it was me that sat with him as he drew his last breath, me that took all of his clothes from the care home (18 hours after his death), me that went to register his death - unable to answer questions about his life because I had no clue, me that arranged the funeral directors and collect his belongings from the hospital. I was under the impression that the council would help poor people when they died, but Donald is £332 short of the amount needed to pay for a direct cremation, and the council have refused to pay. I don't have the time, energy or desire to fight this, the funeral directors are very patiently waiting while I raise the remaining money.