Funeral experts unsurprised at high cost of dying (From Times Series)

Funeral experts in Barnet unsurprised at high cost of dying in London

10:50am Saturday 22nd September 2012 in News By Jaber Mohamed

Barnet funeral experts are unsurprised by news that London is the most expensive place in the country to die.

The local experts have spoken out following the publication of a report by Sun Life Direct which says that prices in London have risen 22.4 per cent to £10,071 since 2011, despite a national decrease in cost of 1.9 per cent.

Emma Sargant, Director of Churchills Family Funeral Directors in East Barnet Road said: “I haven’t put my prices up since 2008.”

She explains that the reason that prices may be going up is because of third party payments.

She said: “Burial costs are going up, cremation costs are going up, doctors’ costs are going up but funeral directors have no control over those prices.”

Paul Van Der Hulks, Cemetery Director of Golders Green and Edgwarebury cemeteries said: “The increase cost of funerals is partly due to the state of the economy but also because the price of land is increasing.

“The cost of Jewish funeral hasn’t gone up but that’s because part of their membership payments to their synagogue goes toward covering funeral costs. A bit like a pay-as-you-go model.”

However, Barry Broad of Brooks Funerals in Church Hill Road said there are options for people.

He said: “Funerals are expensive but we specialise in low cost funerals and our customers say that we are about half the price of the bigger funeral directors.”

Florist Joanne Wardley, owner of Floral and Hardy in Green Hill Parade on Great North Road, said: “Our prices have been the same for the last two years. If anything we have had to drop our prices to get the work.”

Mrs Hardy concedes that the price of everything is going up, but says: “We tell our customers, pick what you like, tell us how much you want to spend and we will work to your budget.”

Sun Life Direct is a company which distributes financial service plans such as life insurance and funeral planning, as part of the AXA Wealth Services Ltd.

Their report compared basic funeral costs such as funeral director’s costs, doctor’s fees, fees for a religious or secular service and burial or cremation fees. 

It also looks at death-related costs such as probate, headstones and flowers.