Families crowdfunding to pay for funerals

Bereaved families are turning to crowdfunding and loan sharks to pay for funerals as the cost of a traditional service saw its biggest annual increase since 2016, according to an annual report.

- JOSIE CLARKE

The cost of a traditional attended funeral jumped 5.3% to £4,510 last year, SunLife’s latest Cost of Dying Report said.

A simple attended funeral, which includes the core elements of a traditional service but with fewer add-ons such as a memorial and flowers, is now the most common choice in the UK, costing an average of £3,828.

When teamed with a memorial, catering, venue hire and flowers, total spending on the average funeral rose to £5,140.

Rising prices have been driven by increased cremation and burial fees and higher coffin prices.

Some 15% of families say they have faced financial hardship paying for a funeral, having to find an extra £2,365 on average.