Rising costs leading to funeral financial strain: SunLife

SunLife's research showed that the average cost of a funeral rose to £5,140 in 2025. Its research also showed that 70% of people make some form of provision for their funeral, including savings, funeral plans and life insurance. Of those who did save, 41% saved enough to cover the full cost of a funeral. For 15% of families, paying for a funeral causes "notable financial hardship", according to the report. Of these families, 18% said it directly impacted their standard of living and forced them to cut back on essentials such as food, heating or bills. Lindesay Mace, co-manager, ...