A spike in the number of state-funded funerals and cremations has laid bare the need for cost-effective end-of-life planning, warns leading direct cremation provider Celebration of Life.
There has been an “unsustainable” increase in basic funerals paid for by the NHS and councils across the UK because of the cost-of-living crisis, according to research by the Centre for Population Change (CPC) and the BBC.
The CPC, a body which investigates how and why our population is changing, discovered that the total number of public health funerals, also known as welfare funerals, rose sharply from 4,760 in the financial year 2014/15 to 7,020 in 2020/21.
Researchers found almost one in 10 funerals in the London Borough of Camden were paid for by the taxpayer, while areas with higher population density, greater homelessness, and more overcrowding, such as Birmingham, Manchester, Nottingham, Bristol, and Leeds also have comparatively high rates.
Now Peter Shuttleworth, Celebration of Life’s General Manager, is urging people to investigate direct cremation, where the deceased is collected, cared for, and then cremated without a service or mourners present, if they want to ensure their final wishes are met.
“Soaring bills and sky-high grocery prices are understandably taking priority over end-of-life planning among UK consumers,” he said.
“This has led to a rise in public health funerals among people who have no next of kin or those whose loved ones are struggling financially.
“However, pre-paid direct cremation plans are cost-effective and offer the peace of mind that comes with ensuring your specific final wishes are being observed when the times comes. A plan is essentially a gift to your family and friends as they will not have the financial burden of paying for your funeral, nor the emotional burden of planning it.”
Councillor Anna Railton, from Oxford City Council, told the BBC that council staff are often required to undertake investigative work to find a will or track down next of kin when someone dies – a process that can take months.
She adds: “So you will be sat in a mortuary while this process takes place and the funeral you’ll end up with is very basic.
“My advice to people is to put thought into your wishes and put money aside because I think most people wouldn’t choose to go through this process.”
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