Cost of a funeral has jumped 6% to £4,706 on average over the past year

  • Find tips on planning a funeral and keeping down costs below 

By TANYA JEFFERIES

Updated:

Cremation with a service: Average cost has risen to £4,431 this year, says L&G

Cremation with a service: Average cost has risen to £4,431 this year, says L&G

The cost of holding a funeral has jumped nearly 6 per cent to £4,706 on average this year, new research from Legal & General reveals.

A direct cremation, the simplest and cheapest option involving no service or mourners, has increased in price by the most, up 11.5 per cent to £1,557.

Ashes are returned to a family afterwards, allowing them to organise a personal memorial at a time of their choosing, which has become a more popular choice of send-off in recent years.

The average cost of a cremation and a service has risen 6.1 per cent to £4,431 this year, while the price of a burial and service has increased 7.3 per cent to £5,894, the L&G study found.

It also found the number of public health funerals rose by 23 per cent between 2018 and 2023.

Local authorities have a legal duty to provide funerals in the last resort when families cannot be traced or are unable to fund them. L&G suggested the trend was caused by the rise in costs.

L&G's findings on the price of basic funerals are similar to the most recent annual survey by SunLife, which found the average cost of a basic cremation or burial had risen 4.1 per cent to £4,141.

That would cover funeral director fees, a mid-range coffin, one funeral limousine, a doctor, and a minister or celebrant.

But it would not include a memorial, death and funeral notices, flowers, order sheets, limousines, the venue and catering for a wake, or hiring a professional to administer an estate.

SunLife noted costs were on the rise again due to higher cremation and burial fees, following several years when they had fallen after new rules required firms to exhibit a clear rundown of prices on their premises and websites from autumn 2021.

SunLife's annual 'Cost of Dying' report has been disputed by the National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF). It says the average used in the report only includes burials and cremations, not cheaper direct cremations, which if included would cut the headline funeral price by 12.5 percent. 

Burial with a service: Average cost has risen to £5,894 this year, says L&G

Burial with a service: Average cost has risen to £5,894 this year, says L&G

L&G says: 'Funeral costs are high largely due to the expense of appointing a funeral director, as well as the third-party costs for the burial or cremation which includes the cost of the service plus the minister or officiant.'

But it notes: 'A funeral director has a vital role to play as they act like a guide in both planning and delivering the funeral.

'Alongside their staff they ensure family members are cared for, making a difficult day as easy as possible.'

L&G says extras can include flowers, memorial headstones and plaques, newspaper announcements, hiring an organist, a dove release or other unique tribute.

Its research found the East Midlands has the lowest combined costs for a burial and funeral director at around £5,000. But Wales has the cheapest cremations at around £3,900. Greater London is the most expensive region to hold a funeral.

Tips on planning a funeral and keeping down costs 

L&G offers the following suggestions.

- Have honest conversations with your loved ones and leave a letter of wishes so your family can give you the send-off you want.

- If you receive certain benefits such as income support or child tax credits, you can claim Funeral Expenses Payments to help with costs.

- You may be able to apply for a public health funeral through your local authority, but they dictate how these are carried out so you may not get the funeral you want.

- You can cut costs by booking a morning slot for a cremation and researching different types of coffins such as bamboo, wicker or biodegradable cardboard.

- To arrange a burial yourself, a burial certificate will be needed when you register the death.

- If you intend to buy a new grave or re-open an existing plot a burial plot application through your local authority or cemetery will be required.

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