Funeral directors escape CMA crackdown on rip-off services

FUNERAL directors today rejoiced as competition regulators curbed their shake-up of rip-offs in the sector as Covid plunged it into crisis.

The Competition and Markets Authority launched a probe into the funeral market in March last year amid concerns that families were being exploited in their most vulnerable time. Firms had been selling expensive funerals with little choice.

The CMA had been expected to recommend price caps and regulation for undertakers and crematoria.

But Covid restrictions have forced funeral directors into doing only the simplest, cheapest, services, crippling profit margins.

Today the CMA said the huge numbers of deaths from Covid since March had meant undertakers had been too busy to supply the data they needed and recognised the financial difficulties Covid had plunged some into. It also recognised that local authorities, devolved and central government which would have to implement some of its recommendations were too busy due to the pandemic to do so.

However, the regulator still made it clear that the market is not working and reforms are needed to protect the public from being overcharged and offered sometimes poor service.

As a stopgap, it is ordering funeral directors to be clearer in setting out the prices of their various services and packages and called for England, Wales and Northern Ireland to set up an inspection and registration regime to monitor the quality of services.

Dignity shares jumped 12% and the Co-op said it welcomed transparency.