PressTV... Rising costs are forcing Britons to hold do-it-yourself funerals and bury their loved ones in their own backyards, a British lawmaker warns.
Emma Lewell-Buck, a Labour MP, said in a parliamentary session on Tuesday that tens of thousands of Britons struggle to pay for funeral costs, with some resorting to the practice of laying their relatives to rest in their own gardens.
Citing a Royal London report, Lewell-Buck said 100,000 families struggle each year to afford the cost of a funeral.
According to the British MP, an average funeral now costs £3,551; however, in some areas where there are problems regarding burial space availability, the price reaches £7,000, with the average debt from services standing at £1,300.
The lawmaker said bereaved Britons are being forced to sell their possessions or taking high-interest payday loans to pay for a funeral for their relatives.
In addition, a number of families, who do not have any financial means, are faced with having to hold a public health funeral, or so-called paupers funerals, meaning that local authorities take care of the service.
People have no control over this service and of course there is a cost to the local authority as well, said Lewell-Buck.
The lawmaker called for a nationwide review of funeral service costs and a reform of social funds aimed at helping low-income households.
A recent report published by insurance company SunLife Direct showed that the average cost of a funeral had soared by 87 percent over the past decade.
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Poster Comment:
Front lawn burial would be better for remembrance.