Average basic funeral now stands at ‘record high’ of almost £4,000

Church of Scotland concerned funeral poverty is on the rise

The Church of Scotland said it is “concerned” by a report suggesting “funeral poverty” is increasing across the country.

Bereaved families who struggle with funeral costs are taking on £1,990-worth of debt on average to cover the costs, a report has found.

Across the UK, the estimated total amount of funeral debt last year was £147 million, a 12% increase from the previous year, the Royal London National Funeral Cost Index said.

Around 74,000 bereaved families in the UK struggled with funeral costs last year, the research suggests.

In Scotland, the average cost of a burial is now £3,993 and a cremation, £3,081.

The report, published in partnership with The Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM), surveyed more than 2,000 people across the UK who have organised a funeral in the past five years – as well as more than 1,000 people who were asked about their funeral spending.

Of those who had struggled with funeral costs, 27% went into debt using credit cards, loans or overdrafts.

A fifth (20%) borrowed money from family or friends, and one in eight (12%) chose a cheaper funeral.

A third (34%) of people said the funeral cost more than they expected.

Despite this, a quarter (25%) went above and beyond their loved one’s funeral wishes, with 11% of them saying they spent £1,000 more than they had discussed with the deceased.

A basic funeral in the UK costs £3,785 typically, marking an annual increase of £28 and a record high for the annual report, which is now in its sixth year having started in 2014.

A simple funeral includes the collection and care of the deceased, a basic coffin, a hearse, and a simple service at a crematorium.

London remains the most expensive region with a funeral costing £4,939 on average, while Northern Ireland is the least expensive, at £2,943.

The Rev Bryan Kerr, the Church of Scotland’s representative on the Scottish Working Group on Funeral Poverty, said: “We are concerned with the findings of this report which states that funeral poverty in the UK has increased by 12% with the average cost of a funeral in Scotland standing at £3,537.

“This is having a disproportionate impact on low-income families – no one should be plunged into debt in order to bury or cremate a loved one.”

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No one should be plunged into debt in order to bury or cremate a loved one. THE REV BRYAN KERR

The findings of the Royal London National Funeral Cost Index make for sobering reading and should shame those forcing families into poverty to lay their loved ones to rest.

The average cost of a funeral in Scotland is now £3,537, with a traditional burial costing nearly £4,000.

The report also discovered a huge number of people are putting themselves into debt – often involving crippling interest rates – to fund funerals.

The staggering figures show how eager British people are to provide the send-off they think is deserved.

Organising a funeral is stressful and wearying and it is too easy to lose control of the amount being spent, not least to bid a final farewell to a loved one.

Although one in eight people have admitted choosing a cheaper funeral than originally planned, more than a third have actually spent at a level above and beyond their departed friend or relative’s wishes.

It must be hoped such spending is not a result of “up-selling” by unscrupulous organisers preying on griefstricken customers, although that is not examined in this report.

As is so often the case, it is people on lower, or no, incomes who are disproportionately affected.

Scotland is set to introduce Scottish Funeral Expense Assistance to help cover – but not fully meet – the costs.

It cannot come soon enough.