The cost of living has risen beyond belief over the past year with fuel, energy and food prices all having been affected to varying degrees.
Factor in other price increases, which only ever seem to go in one direction, and the current stand-off over wage rise demands and we are left with the precarious economic climate we now find ourselves in.
A fact of life . . . and death
It is therefore inevitable that as the cost of living goes up, so must the cost of dying! Funeral directors, solicitors, other professionals and service industries have all seen overheads climb and so also need to adapt to the difficult circumstances to survive.
SunLife’s Annual Cost of Dying Report 2022 estimated the average cost of dying - the total cost of a person’s send off in the UK over the previous year to be £8,865. This was made up of:
- Basic funeral cost £4,056 - defined by SunLife as cremation or burial fees, doctor fees, funeral director fees and minister or celebrant fees.
- Other professional fees £2,325.
- Other costs £2,484 - including notices, memorials, flowers, catering and the wake.
As well as the financial cost, a death places additional demands on the family including emotional strain, settling up of the deceased’s affairs and devoting the necessary time to ensure everything is carried out properly.
Additional burden
This often means taking time off work which may lead to a loss of earnings and there could well be additional costs incurred over and above those we have highlighted.
At WRR Pugh & Son we are fully aware of just how difficult it can be to meet the cost of a funeral, particularly if no provision has been made by the deceased - a situation made worse by the need to complete all necessary tasks while dealing with a significant loss.
Spreading the cost
You can always be assured that WRR Pugh & Son will be with you every step of the way and will always be available to guide and advise you at this most difficult of times. One of the services we can now offer is spreading the cost of a funeral, thanks to our partnership with Funeral Safe.
It can be put in place during the making of funeral arrangements and offers families another option when it comes to paying for a funeral. It is a simple, accessible and affordable way of meeting an unexpected cost and is yet another way in which we are fulfilling our commitment to helping meet the needs of bereaved families.