Cash-strapped families dealing with the loss of a loved one are resorting to borrowing from loan sharks or setting up crowdfunding campaigns to cover the expenses of funerals, a recent report has shown. One individual shared his experience of having to crowdfund his brother’s funeral due to financial constraints.
According to research, the average cost of a traditional attended funeral surged by 5.3% to £4,510 last year, marking the largest annual increase since 2016. Findings from a survey revealed that 15% of those who arranged funerals in recent times faced significant financial challenges during payment. Among those struggling, approximately 12% resorted to crowdfunding, while 8% borrowed funds from unregulated lenders like loan sharks.
The escalation in prices is attributed to rising cremation and burial fees, increased costs of coffins, and soaring living expenses, as indicated in a report by SunLife. Against this backdrop, a young man shared his efforts to raise funds for his 20-year-old brother’s funeral after his sudden passing due to a severe epileptic seizure and cardiac arrest.
Karl-Frederick Hughes, who had ambitions of attending university, tragically passed away, prompting his brother Max Hughes to initiate a GoFundMe campaign to cover the funeral, burial, and headstone costs. Max, a 26-year-old sales consultant from Sheffield, emphasized the financial strain on the family, particularly since their father, the primary breadwinner, passed away a decade ago.
Max expressed the emotional toll of having to worry about finances on top of the grief, highlighting the importance of being able to afford a dignified burial without added stress. He fondly described his brother Karl as a caring and humorous individual who brought light wherever he went.
The family aims to raise £10,000 for the funeral expenses, acknowledging that the actual costs are estimated to be around £7,500, excluding additional expenses like the wake and grave marker. The significance of celebrating Karl-Frederick’s life through a wake was also emphasized by Max.
Lindesay Mace, co-manager of the funeral poverty service Down to Earth, emphasized the detrimental effects of financial struggles on individuals coping with bereavement. The rising demand for assistance underscores the challenges faced by many families in affording funerals, with a notable increase in people seeking support.
A standard attended funeral, comprising essential elements of a traditional service with minimal extras, emerged as the preferred choice in the UK, costing an average of £3,828 last year. When combined with additional services such as memorials, catering, venue rental, and flowers, the total expenditure on an average funeral rose to £5,140, according to SunLife’s report.
The research, conducted between May and July the previous year, involved input from 100 funeral directors and 1,500 individuals involved in funeral arrangements over the past four years. Mark Screeton, the CEO of SunLife, highlighted the ongoing challenge of escalating funeral costs, which often outpace families’ financial capabilities.