More than 12 public health funerals (PHFs) are taking place every day around the country, according to new LGA research.
A snapshot survey of councils found that there were 4,400 such funerals in 2022/23, and that demand for them is increasing, with a 12.8 per cent increase from 2021/22, when there were 3,900.
PHFs are provided by local authorities as a last resort, when someone dies without family or friends who are able to arrange a funeral for them.
The increase in demand for them has pushed the total spend on public health funerals across England to £5.96 million in 2022/23, up from £5.63 million in 2021/22.
Costs have been steadily rising in recent years, with the total spend over the past four years being more than £21 million (between 2019/20 and 2022/2023).
Despite the increased demand for PHFs, the LGA’s survey showed that councils were largely able to deliver the support and information that deceased individuals and their families need in this challenging time.
A significant majority of respondents were familiar with good practice on delivering PHFs (84 per cent) and nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) provided information online about PHFs and how to access them.
Cllr Heather Kidd, Chair of the LGA’s Safer and Stronger Communities Board, said: “The rising number of public health funerals is a clear example of how councils are having to do more with less, while also continuing to ensure that the most vulnerable in our society are treated with dignity.
“As this survey shows, as costs increase it’s going to add more pressure onto council budgets, even when they can recoup some money from the deceased’s estate.”
