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Grave concern over ‘death tax’
Funeral directors’ anger at council’s inflation-busting burial service price hike
ISLINGTON Council last night (Thursday) gave the go-ahead for the price of cremations and cemetery services to rise by more than £200, sparking fury among funeral directors.
Grieving families will have to budget even more cash for the funerals of their loved ones after councillors voted in favour of the price hike.
The increase, agreed by Islington Council’s executive, comes on top of last year’s 10 per cent increase in funeral fees imposed by the council.
Although some fees will be frozen, some families will face increases of up to £215 on top of the usual charges for burials. The cost of a standard burial will soar by £140, or 10 per cent, to £1605, and cremation costs will jump by nine per cent to £425.
Labour’s shadow environment chief, Cllr James Murray, said: “The greedy Lib Dems have now clobbered grieving families with huge price hikes two years in a row. They are treating cemetery costs like an unfair death tax. This move will hit hardworking families when they lose a loved one – the worst time possible.”
Andrew Leverton, a director at Leverton and Sons, said: “It’s higher than inflation but certainly Islington crematorium is not the most expensive in the area. It is quite expensive and it’s a shame it’s not going up with inflation.
“Ten per cent means you’re looking at an increase of £150-£200. If that’s the price they have to pay then people will pay it. There isn’t really anywhere else for them to go. Although, even with the increase, the graves will still be cheaper than the private cemeteries in north London.”
Another funeral director, who did not wish to be named, said: “It’s scandalous. We feel the prices are too high all round anyway. Families are struggling to pay for these services that come on top of funeral directors’ bills.”
A competing funeral director, who also wished to remain anonymous, said: “We don’t like it at all.”
The council claims that overall the level of fees and charges are among the lowest for cemetery and crematorium services across north London.
Prices for common graves and those for people burying young children will be frozen.
The extra money will go towards work on cemetery roads, security, chapel refurbishment, improved grounds maintenance and tree works.
Some of the money will also fund a free weekend and bank holiday bus service around the largest cemetery site for elderly and disabled people.
Leisure chief Cllr Ruth Polling said: “People who have suffered a loss want to know that the place they are burying their loved one will be well maintained and secure.
“Generations of Labour rule denied this to the people of Islington, forcing many of them to pay higher prices to be buried elsewhere. We have to have a balance between providing the best services for our residents and how much it costs to achieve this.
“Islington remains the cheapest service in north London even with the massive investment we’ve undertaken and will be able to continue to undertake with these rises.” |
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