Funeral sector to be investigated by the competition watchdog - MSE News

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Funeral sector to be investigated by the competition watchdog...

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'Funeral sector to be investigated by the competition watchdog'

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HUMBUG

My mother's funeral costs have now totalled over £10k (including all the other death admin). We used Dignity as they were very close to where we lived locally.

1. Full Service Funeral £2895
2. Limousine £250
3.Embalming £150
4.Funeral Service at Church £295
5. Officiant for funeral service £300
6. Order Of Service £90
7. Wooden Cross for burial service £94
8. Grave Purchase Burial Plot £4695
9. Flowers £150
10. Organist for church service £100
11. Soloist to lead all the hymns £150
12. Post Funeral Function=£400

Other Admin:
Certified Death Certificates 7 copies £11 each = £77
Postage stamps to banks/financial institutions/DWP/Funeral details to relatives, etc = £50
Telephone Calls to Relatives /Friends /Banks/ Financial Institutions/Probate Office/GP/NHS/DWP/Council, etc= £70
Certified Copy Of Will by a solicitor (mandatory for one of those financial institutions)= £25
Grant Of Probate + 6 sealed copies = £218

Total = £10009

Costs Pending:
Cemetery Fee for Tombstone to be erected on grave = £145
Cost of Tombstone = £2500 - 4000 (undecided yet)

Grand Total = £14,154 (max cost).

The burial plot was the biggest shock because our local council has run out of cemetery space , therefore we had to buy a plot from a neighboring borough who surcharge over 100% for 'non-residents'.

The whole thing is extortionate imho but what else can we do? The whole family is grieving while the local councils and funeral companies take advantage of that grief. Even the certified copies of the Death Certificate is extortionate (she took 5 minutes making 7 copies and signing them - £77 please).

Yorkshireman99

HUMBUG wrote: »

My mother's funeral costs have now totalled over £10k (including all the other death admin). We used Dignity as they were very close to where we lived locally.

1. Full Service Funeral £2895
2. Limousine £250
3.Embalming £150
4.Funeral Service at Church £295
5. Officiant for funeral service £300
6. Order Of Service £90
7. Wooden Cross for burial service £94
8. Grave Purchase Burial Plot £4695
9. Flowers £150
10. Organist for church service £100
11. Soloist to lead all the hymns £150
12. Post Funeral Function=£400

Other Admin:
Certified Death Certificates 7 copies £11 each = £77
Postage stamps to banks/financial institutions/DWP/Funeral details to relatives, etc = £50
Telephone Calls to Relatives /Friends /Banks/ Financial Institutions/Probate Office/GP/NHS/DWP/Council, etc= £70
Certified Copy Of Will by a solicitor (mandatory for one of those financial institutions)= £25
Grant Of Probate + 6 sealed copies = £218

Total = £10009

Costs Pending:
Cemetery Fee for Tombstone to be erected on grave = £145
Cost of Tombstone = £2500 - 4000 (undecided yet)

Grand Total = £14,154 (max cost).

The burial plot was the biggest shock because our local council has run out of cemetery space , therefore we had to buy a plot from a neighboring borough who surcharge over 100% for 'non-residents'.

The whole thing is extortionate imho but what else can we do? The whole family is grieving while the local councils and funeral companies take advantage of that grief. Even the certified copies of the Death Certificate is extortionate (she took 5 minutes making 7 copies and signing them - £77 please).

With respect this was a pretty extravagant funeral. A direct cremation and scatter of ashes could fave been done for less than £1300. Your choice really.

Claddagh_Noir

A family member of mine worked for a funeral director that was taken over but a bigger company in the last 5 years. They were all about making money out of the bereaved, pushing burials even though the clients wanted a cremation and/or trying to upsell to a better quality headstone, coffin, more cars etc.



I think it is best to go to an independent, family run funeral directors rather than the big main ones. Or better still, save the money for the inevitable.

dawyldthing

Good grief. My Nan got cremated for around £2400. We had a service at the chapel at the crematorium with a religious person, flowers bought separate, included a limo for me and family, got to see her too (which was included).

£10k. Jeez they’ve took the mick.

But like I said other day on one of these the prepaid plans are over £1k more than what they would charge now, at the same place! I get they have to wether the storm in case it’s more but jeez that’s bonkers

HUMBUG

Yorkshireman99 wrote: »

With respect this was a pretty extravagant funeral. A direct cremation and scatter of ashes could fave been done for less than £1300. Your choice really.

Not really. If you look at the website below a cremation in 'Greater London' (where we live) is about £4500 approx . That would have been the cost without the 'Optional Funeral Costs' (ie. another 2k approx).

https://www.dignityfunerals.co.uk/arranging-a-funeral/funeral-costs/cost-of-cremation-funeral/

The average cost of a cremation (excluding optional funeral costs) across the UK is £3.7k

It's the choice of burial and having to buy a plot outside our local borough which made up about 50% of the cost. The funeral director informed me that a cemetery plot in Hendon (Barnet) would have cost 10k (which I found at bit shocking - if true).

I suspect the future costs for 'Grant Of Probate' will add several thousands more (depending on assets estimate).

PS. The cost of a burial funeral in Greater London is 8k (excluding the 2k approx for optional funeral costs)

https://www.dignityfunerals.co.uk/arranging-a-funeral/funeral-costs/cost-of-burial-funeral/

Gers

Yorkshireman99 wrote: »

With respect this was a pretty extravagant funeral. A direct cremation and scatter of ashes could fave been done for less than £1300. Your choice really.

HUMBUG wrote: »

Not really. If you look at the website below a cremation in 'Greater London' (where we live) is about £4500 approx . That would have been the cost without the 'Optional Funeral Costs' (ie. another 2k approx).

What Yorkshireman99 was referring to is 'direct cremation' (think David Bowie) which is a low cost service.

https://www.dignityfunerals.co.uk/arranging-a-funeral/types-of-funeral/direct-cremation/ and then click on the link to Simplicity at the bottom of the page https://www.simplicity.co.uk/

Of course, it's of no use to you now, however it shows another way of dealing with matters which cuts the cost right down.