SAIF welcomes Cost Index

Royal London’s National Funeral Cost Index 2018 is a ‘commendable document’ which shines a light on the prices bereaved people are likely to face in saying goodbye to a loved one, the UK’s voice of independent funeral directors has said.

The figures show that the funeral profession has clearly acted in the public interest, with funeral directors’ costs falling overall by 4.5% in recent years.

Terry Tennens, SAIF CEO, said: “The report is a commendable document which confirms what we at SAIF already knew: independent funeral directors offer better value than the large corporates.

“While independent firms’ costs are said to have increased by 3%, which we put down to rising fuel and wage costs, family firms across the country are still charging on average 10% less than big businesses like Dignity, Co-op Funeralcare and Funeral Partners.

“We encourage people to shop around and not pay more than they need to for a funeral, particularly if it means a better, more personal service for a lower price.”

Terry added: “Perhaps the most worrying finding – and this is something we’ve known for a long time – is funeral prices are being pushed up by rises in burial and cremation costs.

“Local authorities hit by spending cuts are desperate to find ways to bring in revenue. Nevertheless, it’s unacceptable that bereaved people are bearing the brunt of austerity. They should not be seen as an easy source of revenue.”

On the topic of austerity, Terry supported Royal London’s call on the Government to reform the Social Fund Funeral Expenses Payment (SFFEP), saying it added to the number of organisations and individuals who have highlighted the inadequacy of the benefit.

“The majority of the public consider the collection and care of the deceased along with the coffin to be necessary parts of a funeral.

“At £700 the SFFEP is unable to cover these costs. We support Royal London’s call on the Government to reform the benefit,” he commented.

Elsewhere, the report states that around 40% of funeral directors are not making clients aware of their cheapest funeral package.

Terry said: “We cannot be sure of the reasons for this and at SAIF our members are required by our Code of Practice to clearly display in their premises the prices of all their funerals, including a simple funeral. Additionally, the Code requires members to provide a full estimate of costs to clients.”

The only aspect of the report that SAIF might query is the cost of a coffin. The association doesn’t believe most people are spending £980 on a coffin and asks Royal London to revisit this figure and their methodology in next year’s Index, perhaps looking at the most frequently sold coffin price rather than the average. SAIF believes this is likely to be in the region of £400.

In summary, Terry said: “On the whole, Royal London’s National Funeral Cost Index report is welcome, and we hope the funeral sector and policymakers in local and national government give it the consideration it deserves.”

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