The cities where funerals cost twice what they should

Bereaved families face a postcode lottery for funeral costs, which can vary by thousands of pounds depending on where they take place, new analysis has shown.

A “standard” funeral, required by the Competition and Markets Authority to be the same service across all providers, differs wildly in price even within the same region, according to research by Legacy of Lives, a comparison site.

The site found some grieving families were paying far more than they needed to – sometimes more than double the cheapest rate in their area.

In London, prices varied from £1,060 to £3,715, an increase of over 250pc. The site found that the two prices could be found less than two miles from each other in Battersea, south London.

Outside the capital the situation is not much better: Manchester’s cheapest standard funeral came in at £1,400, with the most expensive at £2,780 – a near 100pc price increase.

In Nottingham, prices had a range from cheapest to most expensive of 66pc, from £1,595 to £2,645, while in Hastings they varied by 83pc, from £1,790 to £3,275. For direct cremations with no funeral service, the price varied by 143pc across the country.

Rebecca Peach, from Legacy of Lives, said the stark variation in cost means funeral planning can be a “postcode lottery” for thousands of families.

She said: “Not only do prices vary massively depending on where you live but also which funeral director you choose. This data is shocking.” A report by Marie Curie, the charity, and the University of Loughborough found that in 2019 90,000 people in Britain died in poverty, accounting for 15pc of deaths that year. Manchester had the highest proportion of pensioners dying in poverty (32pc), the research revealed.

Recent figures published by life insurer SunLife found the “cost of dying” to be £8,864 on average, which they said was worsened by families only sourcing one quote for a funeral provider rather than shopping around. A report by the company found 20pc of families were surprised to learn there were cheaper options available locally.

London emerged in the study as the most expensive place in the UK for a funeral, costing £5,358 on average. Northern Ireland was the cheapest, at £3,056, although Legacy of Lives said prices there could still vary from £1,700 to £3,145 (85pc).

The high costs mean many people would be forced into poverty or be unable to afford a funeral, said Legacy of Lives.

It added that the cost of dying had crept up steadily in the past two decades – increasing by 121pc since 2004. The pandemic saw a dip in the average cost of a funeral in 2021 as families unable to attend funerals opted for direct cremation, which itself had increased in price by 6pc that year.

Legacy of Lives urged families to shop around for the best deals.

It warned they could end up spending twice what they need to “for exactly the same service by choosing the funeral director at literally the other end of the road”.