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Buried in the back garden: families priced out of decent burials
Soaring costs and coalition cuts lead to shocking rise in number of “do-it-yourself funerals”
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.
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Pauper funerals have increased at a dramatic rate, writes DEBORAH HOBSON, asking why is this swept under the carpet by media and politicians alike