FINANCIAL PRESSURE AND POSTCODE LOTTERY ARE RESHAPING HOW WE SAY GOODBYE

The latest Sun Life Cost of Dying Report lays bare a reality that families across the UK are already living through – that the cost of saying goodbye is rising faster than people can realistically prepare for, and where you live increasingly determines what kind of farewell you can afford.
With the average cost of a simple attended funeral now £3,828 – rising to over £5,000 once send-off costs are included – funerals are becoming one of the most significant unplanned expenses many families will ever face. In London, where costs are almost £1,100 higher than the national average, this pressure is particularly acute, reinforcing what can only be described as a postcode lottery at the point of death.
Peter Shuttleworth, General Manager at Celebration of Life said:
“The Sun Life report confirms what we see every day: financial concerns are no longer a side issue when someone dies – they are front and centre. For too many families, the immediate question isn’t how they want to say goodbye, but what they can afford to do.”
While the report highlights a shift towards simpler attended funerals, it also reveals a deeper tension. Families still want meaning, ritual and the space to grieve – but they are being forced to navigate rising cremation and burial fees, increasing coffin costs, and the wider cost-of-living crisis at the worst possible moment.
One in seven families now experiences financial hardship paying for a funeral, with some turning to crowdfunding or high-risk borrowing. The emotional toll of this is significant, with the majority of those affected reporting negative impacts on their mental health.
“Grief should never be compounded by debt, stress or fear of bills,” Peter Shuttleworth added. “Yet the data shows that this is exactly what’s happening. When families are cutting back on food or heating to pay for a funeral, something in the system is fundamentally broken.”
The growing popularity of direct cremation – now accounting for around one in five funerals (21%) – reflects this changing landscape. Crucially, direct cremation offers cost certainty at a fixed price, removing regional pricing disparities and unexpected add-ons at a time when families are least able to manage them.
But cost alone is not the whole story.
“Direct cremation isn’t about doing less,” said Peter Shuttleworth. “It’s about doing things differently. By separating the practicalities of cremation from the moment of remembrance, families gain time, flexibility and control. They can choose when, where and how they come together – without being rushed or constrained by escalating costs.”
This flexibility is reflected in the Sun Life findings, with the vast majority of families who choose direct cremation still holding a memorial, wake or celebration of life. Increasingly, these gatherings take place days or weeks later, shaped around the person who has died rather than the limitations of a single, costly funeral day.
Celebration of Life believes the findings should prompt a broader national conversation – not only about planning ahead, but about fairness, transparency and choice in the funeral sector.
Peter Shuttleworth concluded. “People deserve clear options, upfront pricing and the freedom to honour a life in a way that feels right for them – regardless of postcode or income.”
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