THE COST of dying is set to rise in Warwick district after councillors agreed to funeral price hikes.
Plans to increase charges for cremations and burials have been approved by Warwick District Council’s executive.
Prices for cremation services are being raised from £685 to £720. Internment of cremated remains will also be hiked from £150 to £160. The cost of burials will also rise, with the cost of a grave increasing from £1,150 to £1,200.
New fees of £50 will also now be charged when paperwork is supplied late, and if a burial is cancelled three days before it is due to take place the family will be charged £180.
Rising funeral directors’ costs and council burial or cremation fees mean relatives are now forced to stump up an average bill of around £4,000 for a ‘standard’ funeral.
But the council says it has seen an increase in cheaper ‘direct funerals’ – which exclude everything which is not essential. This means no service, no family or friends at the cremation, no funeral director and no flowers. The council says its charges are in line with those in other districts.
Last year the council collected £1.6million from charges related to deaths.
A spokeswoman told the Observer: “Fees and charges provide income towards the cost of providing our services and these are benchmarked against those of other local authorities to ensure they are at an appropriate level.”
