One in 5 now say goodbye to their family members with no service

More and extra individuals are saying goodbye to their deceased family members with no funeral because of service prices doubling within the final twenty years. 

An in-depth research by over-50s consultants SunLife, known as the Cost of Dying report, interviewed 100 funeral administrators from everywhere in the UK and 1,500 Brits who’ve organised funerals prior to now 12 months. 

It discovered the common price of a funeral – both cremation or burial, together with a coffin, limo and all undertaker charges – had soared since 2004 from £1,835 to £4,141 – an increase of 126% in twenty years. 

The research additionally discovered that 20% of Brits had a direct cremation – through which there is no such thing as a service, rising from simply 3% in 2019. 

A complete of 82% of the funeral administrators interviewed stated mourners should not trouble with flowers, saying they’re ‘too costly’. 

The research discovered the common price of a funeral – both cremation or burial, together with a coffin, limo and all undertaker charges – had soared since 2004 from £1,835 to £4,141 – an increase of 126% in twenty years

The costliest place to carry a funeral within the UK is London, with a median price of £5,171. 

Compared to different measures of how the nation is faring by way of the price of dwelling and costs on the whole, funeral prices has soared greater than most.

In 2004, the common home value within the UK was simply over £150,000, in comparison with £288,000 now – a 92% rise.

In the identical 12 months, a pint of lager would have set you again £2.34, however now would price you a median of £4.47 – an increase of 95% within the twenty years. 

Similarly, the worth of a pint of milk has soared 92%, from 36p in 2004 to 69p now.

Wages have risen 76% in the identical time interval, from gross weekly pay of £388 to £682 now, and petrol has rise 84%, from 78p-a-litre in 2004 to round 144p-a-litre now.

None of them can compete with the 126% rise in funeral prices over the previous 20 years.

Mark Screeton, CEO at SunLife stated: ‘This 12 months’s Cost of Dying report – our twentieth version – reveals simply how excessive prices have turn into over the previous 20 years.

‘The price of a primary funeral has elevated 126% since 2004, far greater than the speed of inflation over the identical interval.

‘However, there are issues you are able to do to make funerals extra inexpensive.

‘For these organising a funeral now, our report has a lot of ideas from funeral administrators and those that have just lately organised a funeral on methods to reduce prices.

‘For instance, an increasing number of individuals are selecting a direct cremation, adopted by a celebration of life held at house.

In 2024, the common price of a funeral is a whopping £4,141, an increase of 126% in twenty years 

He added: ‘The common price of direct cremations has dropped as soon as once more – now at £1,498 – over £2,000 lower than a standard cremation.

‘Other high ideas together with holding a house wake, having a less expensive coffin, spending much less on flowers, utilizing social media as an alternative of bulletins within the paper, or utilizing your personal vehicles as an alternative of limousines.

 ‘For those that should not having to fret a few funeral simply but, one thing to contemplate can be to begin the dialog with family members, so that they know what you do and don’t need them to spend cash on, and the place the cash will come from.

‘You may additionally want to make some provision to cowl your funeral prices in order that when the time comes, your family members should not having to fret about cash at an emotionally tough time.’