MORE families in Britain will be unable to afford a funeral for their loved ones as the cost-of-living crisis leaves millions struggling to cope, campaigners have warned. 

As millions of pounds was spent last month on Elizabeth Windsor’s state funeral, attention was called online to the fact that tens of thousands of ordinary people struggle each year to afford to pay for even the most basic funerals for their relatives and friends. 

And campaigners now warn that the scandal of surging funeral poverty is set to worsen as soaring energy costs squeeze already stretched incomes. 

Quaker Social Action, a small charity that offers advice on funeral poverty and helps people access charitable grants and government support through its Down to Earth scheme, said it has seen a marked increase in referrals to its helpline in recent months. 

The number of people struggling to pay for funerals was already rising sharply before the cost-of-living crisis, in part due to rising funeral costs, which have more than doubled since 2004.

Costs averaged £4,184 in 2021, according to Sun Life Insurance’s 2022 cost-of-dying report. That year, some 113,000 people organising a funeral — one in six — said they struggled to afford it. 

“For people already struggling to make ends meet, the sudden expense of a bereavement and cost of a funeral often adds completely unbearable strain on families,” Down to Earth development worker Sophie Clarke told the Morning Star.

“It’s an incredibly stressful situation — we’re talking about two taboos, if you like: money and death,” she said. “And the stress on people at the time of bereavement and feeling they’re sinking into debt can be catastrophic to people’s health.”

Ms Clarke says the charity expects the number of people struggling with funeral costs to continue to rise as the cost-of-living crisis develops.

“The increase in energy costs will impact funeral service providers as well and will inevitably lead to higher funeral costs,” she said, adding that this will push more people into long-term debt. 

She added: “We’re in one of the richest countries in the world, it’s a scandal that we’re in that situation.”

Signs that the cost of living is having an impact on funeral poverty are already showing. Data obtained by the Morning Star from crowdfunding platform Go Fund Me reveals the number of people who mentioned “cost of living” while fundraising for funerals has increased tenfold this year compared with the whole of 2021.

Down to Earth was set up to help people organising funerals from falling into debt by helping them access charitable grants, government support and by keeping costs down. 

While government support is available through the funeral expenses payment (FEP) in Wales, England and Northern Ireland, and the funeral support payment (FSP) in Scotland, Ms Clarke says the amount is “inadequate,” only covering half of funeral costs. 

“Many people on low incomes aren’t eligible,” she added, leaving them to rely on charity, online crowdfunders and even loans to cover funeral costs. “Support is also needed for people who aren’t on benefits and tax credits,” she said.

Esther, 27, from Romford, was eligible for FEP for her father’s funeral, but the amount did not cover the full £5,500 cost. 

After giving up her job to become a full-time carer for her father before his death, she said she was left with no option but to ask for help. 

With the support of Down to Earth, Esther made up the extra costs through applying for a charitable grant, and cutting back on more expensive options. 

With the price of burials costing huge sums, Esther instead found a plot in a shared grave belonging to someone who had no relatives, and borrowed money from friends and family. 

“Everything else like flowers and a hearse came at an extra cost,” she said. “I didn’t have money for a headstone, and there still isn’t one on his grave.”

To tackle funeral poverty, QSA is calling for both Westminster and Holyrood to increase the amount of financial support offered and overhaul the eligibility criteria to allow people who aren’t in receipt of benefits to apply.

Ms Clarke says the charity is also calling for regulations to be imposed on the funeral sector to keep prices affordable, adding: “It’s a human right to be able to grieve in peace.”

A DWP spokesperson said the FEP scheme is targeted to people who qualify for benefits to ensure “that the most vulnerable are supported with these costs.”

“Funeral poverty is not just an issue for government; providers of funeral services including the church, funeral directors, local authorities and owners of crematoriums all have a role to play in ensuring there are funerals accessible for everyone,” they added.