Paupers’ funeral spend nears £5.4m in 2018

New data obtained by insurance company Royal London revealed that local authorities spend almost £5.4m on public health funerals in the financial year 2017/18. This was a 3.5 percent increase on last year’s figure and accounted for over 3,800 paupers’ funerals, costing an average of £1,403. The research also showed that 31 percent of public health funerals carried out were as a result of bereaved families being unable to afford the cost of a funeral. The data is based on Freedom of Information requests submitted by Royal London to 390 local authorities in the UK. A basic funeral costs on average £3,757 according to Royal London’s National Funeral Cost Index, which also found 12 percent went into debt to pay for a loved one’s funeral. Other reasons for public health funerals included the deceased having no family (31 percent) and families unwilling to pay for the funeral (10 percent). Local councils in the West Midlands spent a £1.3m on public health funerals, followed by London councils, who spent more than £800,000 and carried out 654 funerals, which was the highest number. Birmingham City Council in West Midlands spent the most, with public health funerals costing them £990,437. Armagh Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council in Northern Ireland had the lowest spend on funerals at £275. Louise Eaton-Terry, funeral cost expert at Royal London, said: “Local authorities are raising burial and cremation fees as they face cuts in funding from central government. This is one of the key drivers of funeral cost inflation and ultimately results in an increase in the number of public health funerals local councils have to perform, as bereaved families are unable to pay for their loved one’s send off. “More support is needed to help those struggling with funeral costs and the government needs to improve the funeral payment benefit to help tackle funeral poverty.” Councils with highest total spend on public health funerals in 2017/18 Council Total Cost Birmingham City Council £990,437 Manchester City Council £242,178 Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council £92,000 London Borough of Lambeth £85,757 Richmond and Wandsworth £83,982 Dudley Metropolitan Borough £79,679 Bradford Metropolitan Council £77,224 Coventry City Council £76,519 Perth & Kinross Council £74,248 Portsmouth City Council £72,991 Councils with lowest total spend on public health funerals in 2017/18 Council Total Cost Armagh Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council £275 Eastleigh Borough Council £310 Monmouthshire Council £375 Newport Council £480 Thurrock Council £550 Newry and Mourne District Council £600 Dartford Borough Council £600 High Peak Borough £700 City of London £715 Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council £910

Paupers’ funeral spend nears £5.4m in 2018

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