Saving enough to fund our final years is tough and will only get tougher as more of us live to be 100. Then right at the end, there’s another unexpected expense and it’s rising all the time.
A basic funeral now costs £4,141 on average, but the total bill is almost £10,000 once professional fees and a final send-off are included.
As a result, a growing number are now taking budget options to reduce the burden on loved ones.
In practice, just 43 percent of Britons leave enough money behind to pay the full cost of their own funeral. That leaves millions of families facing an average bill of £1,872 to plug the shortfall.
The burden is rising as SunLife’s annual Cost of Dying report reveals funeral costs have risen 126 percent in the last 20 years.
That’s a hefty 54 percent above the inflation rate over the same period, meaning the cost of dying is getting more expensive in real terms.
If funeral costs had risen in line with inflation instead, the average basic funeral would cost just £3,152.
How much you pay depends on where you live, with the average funeral in London costing £5,171, making the capital the most expensive place to die.
The overall cost of dying is now the highest it has ever been at £9,658 with all charges included.
That terrifying figure that includes the funeral itself plus probate charges, professional fees and other send-off costs. It’s shot up by £458 over the past year alone.
So most of us will have to budget to pay a lot more than that when the time comes.
A growing number of people now prefer to take a budget option called a direct cremation, where families dispense with a funeral service or ceremony.
The cost of a direct cremation has fallen for third year running to £1,498, but many are reluctant to see off loved ones on a budget plan.
One in four still choose a burial, which remain the most expensive type of funeral. The basic cost has climbed 5.9 percent to £5,077 over the last year, and that’s before extras such as professional and send-off costs.
Cremations remain the most popular type, with more than half choosing that option, costing an average £3,795, plus costs.
SunLife chief executive Mark Screeton warned that many people are passing on financial problems to their loved ones, by failing to cover the cost of their funeral. “Given the cost-of-living crisis, this is causing huge issues for millions of families.”
One in four said paying for a loved one’s funeral had hit their own standard of living, forcing them to cut back on essential items or leaving them struggling to pay bills.
Screeton said there are things you can do to make funerals more affordable. “More are choosing a direct cremation, followed by a celebration of life held at home, which costs £2,000 less than a traditional cremation.”
READ MORE: One of the biggest bills you will face in life comes right at the end
Other ways of cutting costs include holding a wake at home, choosing a cheaper coffin, spending less on flowers, using social media instead of announcements in the paper, and using your own cars instead of limousines.
If worried, start the conversation with loved ones, he said. “Let them know what you do and don’t want them to spend money on, and where it will come from.”
He added: You may also wish to earmark some savings to cover your funeral costs so that when the time comes, your loved ones are not having to worry about money at an already difficult time.”
It’s a depressing fact that even when you die, the costs are not over. Dying is expensive, and only getting pricier.
One option is to pay for it in advance, by taking out a funeral plan. However, these have been controversial with some people losing tens of thousands of pounds after plan providers collapsed.
Ideally, most people will have enough savings set aside to cover their send-off and leave an inheritance for loved ones. Sadly, millions won’t.
