Cremation costs have risen to an average of more than ￡1,000 for the first time (Image: Getty )
Labour has been blamed for pushing the average cost of a cremation beyond ￡1,000 for the first time. Latest industry records show the price of dying has risen to an all-time high, with charges at some crematoria soaring by 20% in a year.
This has been blamed on the hike in employer National Insurance contributions imposed by Chancellor Rachel Reeves. It means that while the average cost of a cremation was around ￡966 last year, it is now ￡1,020, with some places charging significantly more.
Article continues belowADVERTISEMENT
DON'T MISS
Powered by
Only one tax will help Rachel Reeves plug her Budget black hole - but it will destroy her
Top 45% tax rate now hitting Middle Britain
Rachel Reeves dealt another huge blow after jobs alarm - 'taxed out'
Bank of England blames bad weather and Rachel Reeves for soaring cost of food
Kemi Badenoch warns Keir Starmer over income tax raid to fill ￡51bn blackhole
Rachel Reeves has the cheek to say she's fixed the economy - she's smashed it to pieces
Bank of England slashes interest rates to lowest point for over 2 years
Labour has stopped doing one thing - it's bleak clue as to where UK is heading
Savings allowances explained as Rachel Reeves approves tax crackdown
The bill for Rachel Reeves's errors has landed - it's ￡50bn and YOU are going to pay it
Russia economy meltdown as deficit soars and liquid reserves at risk of running out
'I run a UK campsite - after Rachel Reeves' move we stopped paying me a salary'
HMRC catches out almost 1,200 more families in inheritance tax crackdown
Bank of England base rate could plummet to 2.75%
Millions of UK drivers hit with 'yet another blow'
Rachel Reeves faces new tax headache - problem is 'worst it's been for three years'
Rachel Reeves accused of Middle England tax raid as she scrambles to avoid disaster
Rachel Reeves warned against stealth tax raid on pensioners and workers to fill black hole
Rachel Reeves deals another blow to pensioners in council tax discount update
Rachel Reeves thinks tax hikes will fix her ￡51bn black hole - here's why they won't
Only one tax will help Rachel Reeves plug her Budget black hole - but it will destroy her
Top 45% tax rate now hitting Middle Britain
Rachel Reeves dealt another huge blow after jobs alarm - 'taxed out'
Bank of England blames bad weather and Rachel Reeves for soaring cost of food
Kemi Badenoch warns Keir Starmer over income tax raid to fill ￡51bn blackhole
Rachel Reeves has the cheek to say she's fixed the economy - she's smashed it to pieces
Bank of England slashes interest rates to lowest point for over 2 years
Labour has stopped doing one thing - it's bleak clue as to where UK is heading
Savings allowances explained as Rachel Reeves approves tax crackdown
The bill for Rachel Reeves's errors has landed - it's ￡50bn and YOU are going to pay it
Russia economy meltdown as deficit soars and liquid reserves at risk of running out
'I run a UK campsite - after Rachel Reeves' move we stopped paying me a salary'
HMRC catches out almost 1,200 more families in inheritance tax crackdown
Bank of England base rate could plummet to 2.75%
Millions of UK drivers hit with 'yet another blow'
Rachel Reeves faces new tax headache - problem is 'worst it's been for three years'
Rachel Reeves accused of Middle England tax raid as she scrambles to avoid disaster
Rachel Reeves warned against stealth tax raid on pensioners and workers to fill black hole
Rachel Reeves deals another blow to pensioners in council tax discount update
Rachel Reeves thinks tax hikes will fix her ￡51bn black hole - here's why they won't
Only one tax will help Rachel Reeves plug her Budget black hole - but it will destroy her
Top 45% tax rate now hitting Middle Britain
Rachel Reeves dealt another huge blow after jobs alarm - 'taxed out'
Bank of England blames bad weather and Rachel Reeves for soaring cost of food
Kemi Badenoch warns Keir Starmer over income tax raid to fill ￡51bn blackhole
Rachel Reeves has the cheek to say she's fixed the economy - she's smashed it to pieces
Bank of England slashes interest rates to lowest point for over 2 years
Labour has stopped doing one thing - it's bleak clue as to where UK is heading
Savings allowances explained as Rachel Reeves approves tax crackdown
The bill for Rachel Reeves's errors has landed - it's ￡50bn and YOU are going to pay it
Russia economy meltdown as deficit soars and liquid reserves at risk of running out
'I run a UK campsite - after Rachel Reeves' move we stopped paying me a salary'
HMRC catches out almost 1,200 more families in inheritance tax crackdown
Bank of England base rate could plummet to 2.75%
Millions of UK drivers hit with 'yet another blow'
Rachel Reeves faces new tax headache - problem is 'worst it's been for three years'
Rachel Reeves accused of Middle England tax raid as she scrambles to avoid disaster
Rachel Reeves warned against stealth tax raid on pensioners and workers to fill black hole
Rachel Reeves deals another blow to pensioners in council tax discount update
Rachel Reeves thinks tax hikes will fix her ￡51bn black hole - here's why they won't
In Amersham, Bucks, the price to cremate a loved-one has rocketed from ￡790 in 2024 to ￡945 this year, and in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, the basic fee has shot up by more than ￡152 in just 12 months.
The Maryhill area of Glasgow, remains one of the cheapest places in the UK, with fees of ￡695 this year, an increase of only ￡30. Since April, all employers have been stung by Rachel Reeves’s hike on the amount of NI businesses have to pay on staff wages. The rate has shot up from 13.8% on employees’ earnings above ￡9,100 last year, to 15% on salaries above ￡5,000 this year.
Read more: Rachel Reeves dealt massive blow as she's warned more firms will go bust
Read more: Rachel Reeves tax raid kicks in as Brits forced to hand over ￡8bn
The Chancellor's NI hikes have been blamed in part for the rise in fees (Image: Getty )
The Federation of Burial and Cremation Authorities represents around 85% of all cremation authorities in Britain.
CEO Mike Birkinshaw told the Sunday Express the funeral sector was “no different” to other businesses hit by Ms Reeves’s policies.
“The average crematorium employs 10 full-time members of staff and the average employer NI increase per employee is circa ￡800 per annum,” he said.
“This adds a further burden of ￡8,000 per year for the average budget. The 1.2% increase in employer NI is a further reason we expect to see increases in cremation costs in the future.”
DON'T MISS
Powered by
Bank of England slashes interest rates to lowest point for over 2 years
Labour has stopped doing one thing - it's bleak clue as to where UK is heading
Savings allowances explained as Rachel Reeves approves tax crackdown
The bill for Rachel Reeves's errors has landed - it's ￡50bn and YOU are going to pay it
Russia economy meltdown as deficit soars and liquid reserves at risk of running out
'I run a UK campsite - after Rachel Reeves' move we stopped paying me a salary'
HMRC catches out almost 1,200 more families in inheritance tax crackdown
Bank of England base rate could plummet to 2.75%
Millions of UK drivers hit with 'yet another blow'
Rachel Reeves faces new tax headache - problem is 'worst it's been for three years'
Rachel Reeves accused of Middle England tax raid as she scrambles to avoid disaster
Rachel Reeves warned against stealth tax raid on pensioners and workers to fill black hole
Rachel Reeves deals another blow to pensioners in council tax discount update
Rachel Reeves thinks tax hikes will fix her ￡51bn black hole - here's why they won't
Only one tax will help Rachel Reeves plug her Budget black hole - but it will destroy her
Top 45% tax rate now hitting Middle Britain
Rachel Reeves dealt another huge blow after jobs alarm - 'taxed out'
Bank of England blames bad weather and Rachel Reeves for soaring cost of food
Kemi Badenoch warns Keir Starmer over income tax raid to fill ￡51bn blackhole
Rachel Reeves has the cheek to say she's fixed the economy - she's smashed it to pieces
Bank of England slashes interest rates to lowest point for over 2 years
Labour has stopped doing one thing - it's bleak clue as to where UK is heading
Savings allowances explained as Rachel Reeves approves tax crackdown
The bill for Rachel Reeves's errors has landed - it's ￡50bn and YOU are going to pay it
Russia economy meltdown as deficit soars and liquid reserves at risk of running out
'I run a UK campsite - after Rachel Reeves' move we stopped paying me a salary'
HMRC catches out almost 1,200 more families in inheritance tax crackdown
Bank of England base rate could plummet to 2.75%
Millions of UK drivers hit with 'yet another blow'
Rachel Reeves faces new tax headache - problem is 'worst it's been for three years'
Rachel Reeves accused of Middle England tax raid as she scrambles to avoid disaster
Rachel Reeves warned against stealth tax raid on pensioners and workers to fill black hole
Rachel Reeves deals another blow to pensioners in council tax discount update
Rachel Reeves thinks tax hikes will fix her ￡51bn black hole - here's why they won't
Only one tax will help Rachel Reeves plug her Budget black hole - but it will destroy her
Top 45% tax rate now hitting Middle Britain
Rachel Reeves dealt another huge blow after jobs alarm - 'taxed out'
Bank of England blames bad weather and Rachel Reeves for soaring cost of food
Kemi Badenoch warns Keir Starmer over income tax raid to fill ￡51bn blackhole
Rachel Reeves has the cheek to say she's fixed the economy - she's smashed it to pieces
Bank of England slashes interest rates to lowest point for over 2 years
Labour has stopped doing one thing - it's bleak clue as to where UK is heading
Savings allowances explained as Rachel Reeves approves tax crackdown
The bill for Rachel Reeves's errors has landed - it's ￡50bn and YOU are going to pay it
Russia economy meltdown as deficit soars and liquid reserves at risk of running out
'I run a UK campsite - after Rachel Reeves' move we stopped paying me a salary'
HMRC catches out almost 1,200 more families in inheritance tax crackdown
Cremation is one of the most popular ways to take care of a loved one's remains (Image: Getty )
Mr Birkinshaw also pointed out burial fees had risen by 2.4% between 2023 and 2024. The majority of crematoria are fuelled using gas, either natural or LPG (liquefied pet-roleum gas).
Mathew Crawley, chief executive of the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management, agreed NI costs were a factor, coupled with rising energy prices.
He added: “Energy costs will certainly have a part to play in the increase of costs associated with cremations, as the country continues to feel the impact of energy price rises.”
Read Next
SUBSCRIBEInvalid email
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy