Funeral costs come under scrutiny

The high cost of the £2 billion funerals industry is under investigation, with the Competition and Market Authority (CMA) and the Treasury both launching reviews into the sector.

The CMA is conducting a market study to examine the information that funeral directors provide about their prices and services, and how these costs have changed over time.

In 2017, the average cost of a funeral was £3,784 , though extra costs can add up to £2,000 to this figure in some cases.

The study will also look at the rising cost of cremations, which are estimated to make up around 75% of all funerals.

At the same time, the Treasury is launching a review of the regulation of pre-paid funeral plans to "ensure the fair treatment of consumers".

Daniel Gordon, senior director of markets at the CMA, said:

"People can understandably be very emotionally vulnerable when planning a funeral.

"We therefore think it is important that - at what can be a particularly challenging time - the process is made as easy as possible.

"We want to ensure that people can receive clear information on prices and the services making up a funeral, and get a fair deal on cremation fees."

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