Funeral Costs Fall Across UK – But North-East Prices Rise

The cost of dying in the North-East is among the lowest of all UK regions. But while the national average fell in 2021, here, the price rose 2.3%.
Once money spent on professional fees and send-off costs is factored in, the nationwide average Cost of Dying was £8,864, according to the annual SunLife report.
Even the cost of the most affordable type of funeral – a direct cremation, with no service and a basic coffin – has risen to £1,647, up 6% since 2020.
At £4,927, burial is still the most expensive option, with the average cremation costing £3,765.
Just over half of all funerals were cremations (57%), while 25% were burials and 18% were direct cremations.
Two-thirds of people who died in 2021 left money specifically to pay for their funeral, up 2% on the previous year. But almost half (47%) didn’t put enough aside to cover all costs incurred – often leaving their bereaved families to foot the bill.
Relatives had to find an average of £1,800 to cover funeral costs. Most found the money from savings and investments (38%), but 25% were forced to borrow from friends and relatives, while just over a fifth (22%) put the debt on a credit card.
Around one in five families say they suffered money worries because of having to meet funeral costs. Perhaps it’s surprising, then, that less than one in five families got quotes from more than one funeral director.
Nine out of 10 funeral directors said people spent more money than necessary on funerals, with the most common excess costs highlighted being flowers, the coffin and limousines.

“It’s important to remember you can shop around for more affordable options,” said Tees Mutual chief executive Phil Carey
“Even where your family has always used the same funeral director, situations change over time and it’s always getting a second or third opinion to ensure you’re not paying more than you really need to.
“You should never feel embarrassed about asking funeral directors for the costs of the various options – after all, it’s their job to tell you these things!”
Half of families tried to save money by cutting back on funeral costs. The most common ways to save was by reducing the money spent on a coffin (16%), spending less on flowers (16%), having a home wake (15%), not using a hearse (10%), choosing not to embalm, (11%) or shopping around (10%).
The survey also underlined the importance of talking to your loved ones about what kind of funeral you would like,
Only one person in 100 say they knew all their loved one’s funeral wishes when they passed away – and on in five knew nothing at all.
“It’s so important to talk about these things when we’re alive and well, but too many of us feeling awkward even discussing the subject,” said Phil.
“Sooner or later these decisions have to be made, and you can make it so much easier for your grieving relatives and avoid so much stress and suffering by making sure they know what you’d like to happen now.
“It’s interesting to read that cup final hymn Abide with Me was the most played music at funerals in 2021.
“But asked what they’d like playing at their own funeral, the number one choice was Monty Python’s Always Look on the Bright Side of Life – so let your family know what you would like to be played!”

How to choose your funeral music

The number of people asking for a traditional religious funeral continues to fall, according to funeral directors.
Almost one in five (17%) of those who planned organised a funeral personalised the service with requests such as making light-hearted speeches or asking mourners to wear bright clothes.
2021 was also the year hi-tech trends such as the use of video streaming took off even further, mainly because of government Covid restrictions, but giving the added advantage of mourners around the world being able to follow the service.

Generations of Teesside and North Yorkshire families have trusted the Tees Mutual to help them save for their funerals.
You can choose to put away a small amount every week, paying either by bank transfer or with an agent calling at your home, just as they have for well over a century.
To find out more, call us on 01642 855199.
Tees Mutual has also put together a free ebook, My Final Wishes, to help you leave a record of what kind of funeral you would like.
Fill in your details at the foot of this page to receive your copy

I took out my first policy years ago because my partner’s family were with Tees Mutual. My partner pays £24 a month for a policy that also covers my son and I pay £20 a month. It means you’re not leaving all your funeral debts to your family when you’re not here. My agent, Andrea, is fantastic.

Wendy Kirk

43, shop assistant, Thornaby

I’ve had a Whole of Life for years and I and took out a Savings Policy so my son will have something when I pass on and I also get some money back when I’m 60. I wouldn’t want to think of anyone leaving debts to me when they died, so I wouldn’t want to do it to my own family. I wish I’d started a policy years ago, but you don’t think about it when you’re younger.

Lorraine Goldup

52, Hemlington

My partner’s mam and dad were members and we heard about Tees Mutual through them. I’m getting older now and if anything happened to me, I wouldn’t want my family to have to pay for it. We’ve had no problems whatsoever and my agent, Perry, is sound. The main thing is that everything's taken care of if something happens to me.

Paul Grant

50, house-husband, Middlesbrough

If anything happens to me, my family wouldn’t be able to afford to pay to bury me. Years ago there were lots of insurance calling to the door, but Tees Mutual is the only firm still doing it now. Allison, my agent, is just like one of us and it’s handy having somebody coming to the house every week.

Carol Frost

69, Brambles Farm, Middlesbrough

My wife’s mother started a policy years ago and I decided I’d rather not leave big debts to my children and so I’d take one out myself. It’s not a very nice thing to leave for them to deal with, is it? I pay a fiver a week to make sure there’s enough to bury me when the time comes. They’ve been smashing and my caller is absolutely brilliant.

David Reed

63, Middlesbrough

We’d only had our policies for about 18 months when my wife Marion died suddenly, just a fortnight after we came back from holiday. She was only 53. Our collector, Alison, made everything as easy as possible. She brought the paperwork to the house and we got the cheque for £5,300 the next day. That made a huge difference because we knew we had the money to pay for Marion’s funeral service and burial. Our family were very pleased with how they looked after us.

Paul Bird

59, South Bank

Tees Mutual does not provide financial advice. If you are in any doubt as to whether a policy is suitable for you, you should contact an Independent Financial Adviser (IFA) for advice. An IFA may charge for providing such advice and you should confirm any cost beforehand. We are covered by the Financial Ombudsman Service, whose website address is www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk.

Tees Mutual is a trading name of The Kensington Friendly Collecting Society Limited, which is an incorporated Friendly Society under the 1992 Friendly Societies Act No. 79COL. KFCSL is Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. KFCSL’s Financial Services Register number is 110058.

The registered address of Tees Mutual and its subsidiary, Tees Mutual Services Limited, is 1-3 Kensington Road, Linthorpe, Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, TS5 6AL.

Tees Mutual, 1-3 Kensington Road, Middlesbrough SE16 3QT +441642850022 enquiries@teesmutual.co.uk