London funeral costs highest in UK, report finds

Helen Drew & Olivia DemetriadesBBC Information, LondonGetty ImagesThe common value of an attended funeral in London in 2024 was £5,449The common value of an attended funeral in London is the most costly in contrast with wherever else within the UK, in response to a report.Monetary providers firm SunLife discovered that the common funeral value in 2024 was £4,285. In London, it was £5,449 – a 5.4% improve from the 12 months earlier than and 58% increased than within the least costly area, Northern Eire.Issues have been raised about funeral poverty, with charity Quaker Social Motion saying the monetary stress can “rob individuals of their capability to grieve”.The federal government provides some individuals a subsidy; on sure authorities advantages a Funeral Bills Fee may help cowl a few of the prices.Of those that obtain a Funeral Bills Fee, the subsidy covers roughly 46% of the whole funeral prices, on common, the SunLife report discovered.There are additionally public well being funerals, that are a primary funeral service organized and paid for by the native authority.The general value of dying in 2024 reached its highest degree at a mean £9,797Lindesay Mace, who leads on strategic work to deal with funeral poverty for Quaker Social Motion, mentioned: “We hear so typically from people who they do not have the psychological area to grieve as a result of all they will do is consider how they will pay the prices.”Confronted with these prices that they can not afford individuals typically use their lease cash to pay a funeral deposit or they’ll reduce on meals or not pay important payments simply making an attempt to scrape that cash collectively.”Nonetheless, Clare Montagu, chief govt for Poppy’s Funerals, instructed BBC London there are methods to cut back prices to make a funeral significant. “You might have a easy cardboard coffin and you can also make it actually private by adorning it your self, placing photos or phrases or symbols which are significant to you and to the one that’s died,” she mentioned. “You’ll be able to convey your personal flowers, you need not pay for a florist, you may run the ceremony your self, you need not have a non secular minister or a celebrant.”Lowering costsJordan Flynn, from SunLife, mentioned the capital had the fewest individuals making monetary provision for their very own funerals, and the best variety of funeral organisers reporting important monetary concern because of protecting funeral prices.He suggested making an attempt to acquire quotes from a couple of completely different funeral administrators and asking them learn how to convey the price down.The report additionally discovered a easy attended cremation with a service was the most well-liked sort of funeral. It is a cheaper possibility, and direct cremations – an unattended funeral – are cheaper, costing on common £1,597.Dan Garrett, from funeral providers supplier Dignity, mentioned the variety of direct cremations had elevated over the past 5 years from about 2% of all funerals in 2019 to about 20% of the funeral market within the final 12 months.”It is a considerably extra inexpensive product and 89% of households who’ve a direct cremation then organise a separate celebration of life,” he added.In line with SunLife, the general value of dying in 2024 reached its highest degree at a mean worth of £9,797, together with the funeral, skilled charges and send-off prices.Ms Mace mentioned authorities assist and wages had not saved up with funeral inflation and plenty of funeral prices had “outstripped basic inflation within the final 20 years”.A Division for Work and Pensions (DWP) spokesperson mentioned: “Shedding a beloved one is devastating and we perceive the monetary impacts it may possibly have on households.”The DWP Funeral Bills Fee scheme makes a contribution in direction of the price of a funeral organized by somebody who’s in receipt of sure income-related advantages. It additionally provides an extra £1,000 to fulfill different funeral bills.”