Councils see increased costs from public health funerals

Councils are seeing increased costs from the rising number of public health funerals, according to a Freedom of Information request by BBC Local Radio.

The number of public health funerals, which are carried out by local authorities for people who die alone or without relatives able to pay, has risen by 11 per cent in past four years.

This 11 per cent rise has seen cost increases of 30 per cent (£1.7 million) for local councils.

Although the exact reasoning is not confirmed, it is thought that people living longer may be contributing to this rise, as well as a rise in funeral fees.

The biggest increase was in the South East, which saw a rise in the number of funerals by 24 per cent since 2009-10, followed by Scotland, which saw a rise of 21 per cent.

Izzi Seccombe, Local Government Association community well-being spokesperson, said: "It is a sad fact that there are thousands of people across the country with no family or friends to arrange, attend or pay for their funeral. Nobody should find themselves in that position.

"Our ageing population is growing rapidly and so is the worrying picture of isolation and loneliness across the country."