The UK stagnant economy may have flatlined, but the cost of a funeral continues to rise.
The latest Royal London National Funeral Cost Index report has found that costs have risen 3% in the past year to a whopping £3,784.
One in five people are now struggling to afford to pay for a loved one’s funeral, and the average debt amounts to £1,680.
It means the staggering cost of funeral poverty across the nation now sits at a record high of £160 million, up just over £10 million from last year.
Leading charities and funeral cost experts called on the Westminster government to follow the lead set by the Scottish Government, whose ministers recently outlined a 10-point plan to tackle funeral poverty.
The gap between the funeral fund and funeral costs continues to widen
The UK government is spending just £38.6 million a year on the Social Fund Funeral Payment, a hardship fund available to struggling families.