In the last couple of months, partly due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the cost of thing such as fuel, food. travel has gone up sharply. But something else had been quietly becoming more expensive for years - funerals.
On average. a basic funeral in England in 2025 cost around £4,285 - that's up by 3.5% from 2024,according to a reportby insurance company SunLife.
Because of those costs, more people are choosing cheaper options like direct cremations - where nobody is present -. for some, that can leave a sense that they have missed out on saying goodbye.
The National Society of Allied. Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF) said it had foundnearly one in five peoplewho arrange a direct cremation now regret it, while one in five say they were left with unresolved grief.
Ed Cullen, from Taunton in Somerset, said when his mum died, she arranged an unattended cremation because she thought it was cheaper - leaving him. his family without the chance to say goodbye.
"I was told she made funeral arrangements but not what type of funeral," Cullen said.
"She was quite private and didn't express that in depth. She thought she was saving us all the hassle.
"I was estranged from my mother as a youngster. Over the last 20 years I got very close to her. not being able to say goodbye to her, not being able to say farewell has left me with a lot of stress and painful memories.
"I would never recommend this way of being taken away and buried to anybody. It leaves a lot of devastation behind."
Cullen said people struggling to pay for a funeral could get help from the government. or discuss their options with funeral directors.
The government offers some people a subsidy; on certain government benefits aFuneral Expenses Payment. can help cover some of the costs.
Of those who receive a Funeral Expenses Payment. the subsidy covers approximately 46% of the total funeral costs, on average, the SunLife report found.
There are alsopublic health funerals, which are a basic funeral service arranged and paid for by the local authority.
Simon Helliar-Moore, an independent funeral director in Taunton, said the costs that come with a funeral such as a crematorium. coffins "go up every year".
"Being a business that tries to care, those costs have to be passed on. We are in a difficult situation," he said.
"It's about families researching and maybe not just using their local funeral provider.
"Most independent funeral directors would look to work with families to make sure they get the appropriate farewell."
Terry Tennens, chief executive of SAIF, said: "A funeral is not just about loss, it is about remembrance, connection. celebration of life.
"Our findings show that when families are denied that moment. some can be left with a lasting sense that something important is missing.
"It underlines why open conversations about funeral wishes matter so much, so that decisions made after a death reflect not just financial considerations,. also the emotional needs of those left behind."
A Department for Work. Pensions spokesperson said: "Losing a loved one is devastating and we understand the financial impact it can have on families.
"That's why we have a Funeral Expenses Payment scheme to help those who are eligible meet the cost of arranging a funeral. while offering an additional £1,000 to meet other funeral expenses.
"We also offer Bereavement Support Payments to help people through the immediate period following a bereavement."
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