Families have been forced to bury loved ones in their back gardens amid an upsurge in “paupers’ funerals” caused by rising costs and grant cuts, a Labour MP warned yesterday.

Emma Lewell-Buck told Parliament that people are holding “do-it-yourself funerals” because of an 80 per cent rise in fees over the past decade.

The average cost of a dignified send-off has soared from £1,920 to £3,551 — and government grants called “funeral payments” now cover less than a third of the bill.