How much does a funeral cost in the UK?
by Vicki Barlow
• Published 10/04/2023
According to Statista, in 2022 the average funeral 'send-off' cost people in the United Kingdom approximately £2,669 British pounds, with £1,064 of these costs going to the memorial, and catering costing around £467 pounds.*
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) published a report in January 2023 finding that:
"Funeral directors operating more than 4 branches charged their customers on average just over £2,600 for funeral services in the year ending 31 August 2022. This level is broadly unchanged since the previous year, representing a reduction in real terms, at a time when many other prices are increasing."
For attended funeral services, it is cheaper to be cremated. Legal & General state that:
"The average cost for a funeral in the UK in 2022 was £4,216. This figure is an average of both cremation and burial costs, but more specifically, the average cost of cremation in 2022 was £3,940, and for burials, it was £5,241."
This is because there are more costs involved with a burial.
A direct cremation is the most affordable option for families on a budget, or for those whose final wishes were to not make a big fuss.
Direct cremation became popular thanks to David Bowie who told his loved ones he wanted to "go without any fuss". He was 'secretly cremated' without any of his family or friends present after asking them not to arrange a funeral service or public memorial.
During the covid pandemic, the popularity of direct cremations increased further. With restrictions on the number of people able to attend a funeral, it made sense to have a direct cremation and hold a celebration of life/wake/memorial service at a later date.
A direct cremation is when your loved one is taken straight to the crematorium without a funeral ceremony.
Most funeral directors now offer a direct cremation as one of their lowest-cost funeral packages. Many crematoriums have made direct cremation available to the general public to buy direct.
If you cannot afford a funeral for your loved one, the Government can help.
If you receive certain benefits you could be entitled to a Funeral Expenses Payment. You can find out more about that on
GOV.UK.
Speak to loved ones about their funeral wishes
A funeral is a personal choice and experience. As you'll likely be emotional when arranging a funeral for a loved one, it helps to have talked about it in advance. Nobody wants to talk to their parents, friends or children about dying - it is not something we even want to think about let alone plan.
Our main objective in writing these blogs is to break down some of the taboos about talking about death and dying. It is difficult, but it will help and give you peace of mind that you've said goodbye in just the way they wished.
A great place to start is by talking to local funeral directors. With years of experience in caring for loved ones and their families, they can help you plan a funeral in advance - with many offering plans to help spread the cost.
You can search for your local Funeral Director on our website
here.
Check out our
previous blogs here.
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* Source statista, Jan 2023.
All other sources are named in the text.
