Imagine the sun shining through the lush treetops on that vast and mundane land inhabited by our fellow farmers, who are working hard and looking forward to the harvest season. However, when they are old and face the difficulties of life, although the monthly pension of 360 yuan provides basic protection for their later life, this protection is very fragile in the face of illness and death. In particular, the issue of funeral subsidies has made many families feel pressure.
In our country, the standards for the payment of funeral subsidies vary widely, which directly reflects the uneven development between regions. For example, if a farmer friend lives in an area where a funeral grant system has not yet been established, his family will not be able to receive the support and help they deserve from society when they face the end of their lives. Even in areas where funeral grants have been established, the standards for payment vary widely from one region to another, ranging from a few hundred yuan to several thousand yuan, which undoubtedly exacerbates the inequality in rural areas.
For example, farmers in Heilongjiang may only receive a one-time subsidy of 500 yuan, while residents in Shanghai may receive 6,000 yuan. Among them, the policies of Henan, Inner Mongolia and Yunnan are issued according to the 12-month basic pension of local residents, which is more humane. But even so, farmers in most areas still do not receive the standard of 5,000 yuan in funeral subsidies after retirement.
Let's take a concrete example to better understand the situation. Suppose a farmer friend lives in Inner Mongolia and his monthly pension is 360 yuan. When he unfortunately dies, his family can receive a funeral subsidy equivalent to 12 months' pension, that is, 4,320 yuan, in accordance with the local policy. While this amount is relatively high, it is still a tiny amount compared to city dwellers, let alone the need to meet one-time high funeral expenses.
In the face of such a situation, we can't help but think about how to better improve the old-age security system in rural areas to ensure that every farmer can enjoy fair and reasonable old-age treatment. The state and society should increase investment in the rural old-age security system, especially in terms of funeral subsidies, and should formulate more unified and humane policies, so that farmers can not only get material security in their old age, but also feel the warmth and respect of the society. First of all, we need to be clear that there is indeed a certain gap between the old-age security system in rural areas and urban areas. This gap is mainly reflected in the amount of pensions, the scope and level of protection, etc. Although in recent years, the state has taken a series of measures, such as increasing the basic pension and increasing the subsidy of old-age insurance, but these measures are still difficult to fundamentally solve the problem of rural old-age security in the short term. 
In order to improve the old-age security system in rural areas, it is first necessary to raise the standard of pension payment. In light of the continuous improvement of the level of economic development and the price level, the standard for the payment of pensions should be adjusted in a timely manner to ensure that the basic living needs of the peasants are satisfied. At the same time, we should increase investment in rural pension insurance, increase the quality of pensions through subsidies, social donations, etc., and improve the level of pension distribution. Secondly, to improve the rural old-age security system, it is necessary to establish and improve the rural old-age insurance system. This includes expanding the coverage of pension insurance so that more farmers can participate in the pension system; improve the overall level of pension insurance and realize the sustainable development of the pension insurance system; Optimize the treatment structure of pension insurance, so that the distribution of pension is more reasonable and fair. 
In addition, with the in-depth implementation of the rural revitalization strategy, we have reason to believe that the development of rural areas will be more balanced, and the quality of life of farmers will also be significantly improved. Through industrial upgrading, education improvement and optimization of medical conditions, farmers can not only enjoy better living conditions, but also have more stable and adequate old-age security. Only in this way can we truly realize social fairness and justice, so that every peasant can enjoy the fruits of reform and opening up and have a happy and dignified old age.