A Information Article
Cornwall’s Cost of Living Crisis
Across Great Britain, during January 2026, reports revealed that “62% of households” had seen an increase in their cost of living, indicating that “the Cost of Living Crisis is still ongoing for many households” [2]. The crisis is due to many factors, including high inflation, stagnant incomes, unemployment rise, high housing costs and high energy costs [6].
Those who live and work in Cornwall are aware of the hidden poverty that hides behind the beauty. A 2025 study documents the deprivation of Cornwall, particularly in rural areas, and demonstrates how, historically, it “was recognised as one of the poorest areas in Western Europe” [5]. Cornwall Council’s own Census shows that, in some areas, more than 60 households are classed as deprived [3].
The article, “Why the Rising Cost of Funerals Is Forcing Britain to Rethink How We Say Goodbye” made me want to expose the truth of this, what it means to real families here in Cornwall, and why we must be careful about what we read [8]. Typical of my background in research, through my MA in Death, Religion and Culture, I wanted to navigate a variety of sources in an unbiased and independent way, so that families who are vulnerable don’t have to. This means pointing out when companies are feeding you information and data that may be in your interests or may be in theirs. Don’t discount information from any source, but DO read it with a critical mind!
The article in question makes valid points, but it’s important for readers to understand that the author comes from a business perspective, he’s the General Manager for Celebration of Life, who specialise in prepaid funeral plans and direct cremations [1].
The Cost Of Funerals Report
The author bases his argument on the Cost of Funerals report which itself is commissioned by Pure Cremation, another company specialising in direct cremations. The report concluded that the average funeral in 2026 costs £4,232. This is only for what they term the “core funeral” – meaning it doesn’t take into consideration flowers, orders of service etc.
It is true that direct cremations have been on the rise, primarily since COVID, and with financial difficulties across the county it comes as no surprise that families are looking for ways to reduce cost.
I feel for families who are negotiating this labyrinth at a time when they are vulnerable and distressed.
Companies (and individuals) use language that encourages you to use their services. It can be easy to misunderstand, be misled or become confused by the various “figures” and jargon.
This can be seen by the statement from Pure Cremation where they say the average cost of a funeral is £4,562 with an emphasis that this is “over twice the price of a pure cremation” [7].
But they are comparing their pure cremation cost (unattended cremation) to that of an attended funeral provided via your local funeral director. They are not the same service, so they cannot be compared like for like!
I came across an article written by an employee of Pure Cremation, who actually states several averages; a basic funeral average is £4,562 while an average cremation is £4,232 (which is the same figure as the first article I reference, this makes sense because they are both using the same source) [10]. He goes on to discuss options for reducing the financial burden; free cremations and Donation to Science. I would urge caution on both points but that is a topic for another article!
So, me being me, I did further digging.
Average Funeral Costs
“What is the real average cost of a funeral in the UK in 2025” is a report produced by Funeral Solution Expert (FSE), an independent research firm. Now generally, I prefer independent sources over those who stand to gain financially. They certainly appear to have the consumer in mind with bold statements such as;
“The ‘rising cost of funerals’ narrative is used by marketers … to encourage consumers to take action” [4]
This statement is aimed at the Cost of Dying Report which is an annual report produced by SunLife (yes, the same company who funds over 50s life insurance). They go on to say:
“While it (SunLife’s Cost of Dying Report) may present an average, it is not the average cost of a funeral” [4]
Now, I have read both extensively, and they both have excellent information and valid points to consider. Personally, I believe there is considerable value in the SunLife report, however, there are little niggles which just keep poking me in the ribs. Mainly that, as a company, they want to sell insurance and plans that make them a profit.
False Figures?
But the real kicker for me, was that the FSE claims that the SunLife report provides false figures.
They still make allowance for doctors’ fees, which were removed in 2024. They don’t consider hidden costs such as the charge to remove a pacemaker prior to cremation, or the fee to have ashes returned if the family opt for Direct Cremation. The percentages they use (in order to calculate the figures) of burial, cremation, and direct cremation are also not accurate. They appear to have overestimated the number of burials, stating that they made up 25% of funerals. The FSE numbers, based on information from the Cremation Society, shows that burials were more likely to be 19.7%. This has inflated the average, driving it higher [4].
The FSE are keen to point out that what people chose to spend is not the same as what they are charged for a funeral. They say that in 2025 the average spent was actually £3,942, considerably less than the “Cost of Dying” figure [4].
How The Information Was Gathered
Funeral Solution Expert (FSE) liaised with 209 independent funeral directors, over 11 regions. They also looked at 3rd parties too as well as direct cremations. Their public sample was 6,000 adults [4].
SunLife’s report interviewed 100 funeral directors, over 10 regions, and conducted interviews with 1,000 individuals. They also conducted some discussion groups and face to face interviews totalling no more than 14 participants [9].
Yet both claim to have been supported by The National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF). SunLife worked with the company Down to Earth while FSE linked directly with the Cremation Society of GB [4, 9].
The bottom line is that the FSE claims the average funeral is £3,746, far less than SunLife’s traditional attended funeral at £4,510 [4, 9 ].
The problem is, there are so many numbers, so many “average” costs, so many % that most families can’t make head nor tail of it. Are you looking at a simple attended, traditional attended, burial, direct cremation… the list goes on.
No wonder 62% of respondents said they wanted to arrange through a funeral director, even if it was for a direct cremation! [4].
My 5 Key Take-Away Points
1. Talk about what you want with those closest to you. Sadly, over half those interviewed still have no idea what their loved one wants for their funeral. If you know what you want, and so do your family, you can make sure you know in advance what it might cost.
2. Be prepared by thinking ahead. Know what everything costs before you need it.
3. Check with your local funeral directors and know their prices.
4. Make provision, however that works for you. Last year’s figures show that 42% of people didn’t put enough aside to cover the full cost of the funeral.
5. Get informed. Speak to someone who knows and can help you formulate a plan. This could be a family member, a friend, a funeral director or an independent like me.
I encourage you to read the source material, you can find it listed below. Regardless of the marketing or business generating aspect of some of these sources, they are still valuable in helping you navigate the plethora of choices available to you.
Further articles on funeral choices, cutting back on costs and what a direct cremation really involves will be on the horizon so check back soon!
References
[1] Celebration of Life. (2025) ‘Celebration of Life.’ Available at: https://www.col.co.uk/ (Accessed 03/02/2026)
[2] Clark, D. (2026) ‘Percentage of adults reporting their cost of living has increased in the previous month in Great Britain from November 2021 to January 2026.’ Available at:
(Accessed 02/02/2026)
[3] Cornwall Council. (2026) ‘Dimensions of deprivation.’ Available at: https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/the-council-and-democracy/data-and-intelligence/census-2021/dimensions-of-deprivation/ (Accessed 03/02/2026)
[4] Cox, S. (2025)‘What Is The Real Average Cost Of A Funeral In The UK In 2025?’ Available at: https://funeralsolutionexpert.co.uk/research/real-average-cost-funeral-2025-report (Accessed 02/02/2026)
[5] Ovenden-Hope, T., Brown, V., and Achtaridou, E. (2025)
‘The Pretty Poverty Report: Cornwall Rurality Matters.’ Plymouth Marjon University,
Plymouth, UK
[6] Pettinger, T. (2025) ‘Causes of the Cost of Living Crisis 2026.’ Available at: https://www.economicshelp.org/blog/170481/economics/causes-of-the-cost-of-living-crisis-explained/ (Accessed 02/02/2026)
[7] Pure Cremation. (2024) ‘The Cost of Funerals Research 2026.’ Available at: https://www.purecremation.co.uk/cost-of-funerals-research (Accessed 03/02/2026)
[8] Shuttleworth, P. (2026) ‘Why the Rising Cost of Funerals Is Forcing Britain to Rethink How We Say Goodbye.’ Available at: https://newsbywire.com/why-the-rising-cost-of-funerals-is-forcing-britain-to-rethink-how-we-say-goodbye-by-peter-shuttleworth-general-manager-celebration-of-life/ (Accessed 02/02/2026)
[9] SunLife. (2026)‘SunLife’s Cost of Dying Report.’ Available at: www.sunlife.co.uk/funeral-costs (Accessed 02/02/2026)
[10] Tuffin, M. (2026) ‘The Average Cost of Cremation in the UK | A Full Breakdown.’ Available at: https://www.purecremation.co.uk/articles/average-cost-of-cremation (Accessed 02/02/2026)
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