![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://uknews.evprotec.com/cost-of-dying-crisis-exposed-brits-are-too-poor-to-die-as-funeral-fees-skyrocket/&media=https://uknews.evprotec.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/0_SOCIAL-Funeral.jpg&description=With the rising cost of living having a devastating impact on families, more Brits cannot afford end-of-life care and funerals. As Pastor Mick Fleming puts it: 'A growing number of people are too poor to die' Soaring supermarket prices and crippling interest rates are putting immense financial pressures on Brits - but it's not just the everyday costs that are overwhelming, more people now cannot afford end-of-life care and funerals. The total cost of dying, including funeral rates and fees, has increased by 3.8 percent to £9,200 in the UK since 2021 - and it's sent many families into "absolute chaos" trying to fork out the cash to simply say goodbye. Pastor Mick Fleming, who runs homelessness charity Church on the Street, told the Mirror: "Not only is there a cost of living crisis - there's a cost of dying crisis. A growing number of people are too poor to die due to the overall cost of funerals." With dead bodies only able to stay in hospital for 21 days, strict restrictions on grants, and undertakers needing half of the funeral charge upfront, thousands are struggling to bury their loved ones. "The average price of a funeral is £4,000. People can't eat, so how can they afford £4,000?" the pastor exclaimed. Pastor Fleming has noticed people in his local community "no longer feel able to opt for the type of funeral they would like". Last year, 19 percent of families had financial concerns when paying for a funeral, and most of them delved into savings and investments, borrowed money, or used a credit card. For those claiming benefits, the Government's Funeral Expenses Payment can help cover costs - but Pastor Fleming said it's not as easy as that. "I've ministered at so many funerals recently and the families just cannot afford it, and very few are eligible for grants," he explained. "People turn around and say there's Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) grants, but they are only available for certain people and they are very much means tested. It can take three){kind=link}
With the rising cost of living having a devastating impact on families, more Brits cannot afford end-of-life care and funerals. As Pastor Mick Fleming puts it: ‘A growing number of people are too poor to die’
Soaring supermarket prices and crippling interest rates are putting immense financial pressures on Brits – but it’s not just the everyday costs that are overwhelming, more people now cannot afford end-of-life care and funerals.
The total cost of dying, including funeral rates and fees, has increased by 3.8 percent to £9,200 in the UK since 2021 – and it’s sent many families into “absolute chaos” trying to fork out the cash to simply say goodbye.
Pastor Mick Fleming, who runs homelessness charity Church on the Street, told the Mirror: “Not only is there a cost of living crisis – there’s a cost of dying crisis. A growing number of people are too poor to die due to the overall cost of funerals.”
With dead bodies only able to stay in hospital for 21 days, strict restrictions on grants, and undertakers needing half of the funeral charge upfront, thousands are struggling to bury their loved ones. “The average price of a funeral is £4,000. People can’t eat, so how can they afford £4,000?” the pastor exclaimed.