The cost of a basic funeral has risen for the 13th year running to an average £3,897. Experts warn that if the trend continues thousands of families will be unable to afford a send-off for their loved ones. A typical burial costs £4,356, a cremation £3,437. This excludes extras such as a church service, coffin and funeral cars. This brings the total cost of dealing with the death of a loved one to £8,802, up from £8,126 last year, says SunLife insurance. A dwindling number of burial plots and high council fees are mainly to blame. The number of families turning to the Government because they can’t afford a funeral is soaring — up 11 per cent since 2012. Heather Kennedy, of charity Fair Funerals, says: ‘If costs keep rising as they are, we’ll be entering scandal territory.’.....Read more here