According to a recent BBC article, public health funerals in the UK have risen by 47% over the past seven years. This increase raises questions about poverty, loneliness, and the growing strain on local councils and the NHS.
What Are Public Health Funerals?
Public health funerals are arranged by local authorities when someone passes away. Under Section 46 of the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984, the local authority has a legal duty to arrange the burial or cremation of any person who dies within its area when no other suitable arrangements are being made.
This responsibility applies when there is no one else such as an executor or no next of kin willing to take responsibility. The local authority may recover the costs from the deceased’s estate, and cremation must not take place if it would contradict the known wishes of the deceased.
If the person dies outside of the hospital, the local council is obligated to ensure a dignified disposal of the body. If the death occurs in hospital, then the NHS handle the arrangements. However, some NHS trusts are now shifting this responsibility to councils, increasing the administrative and financial burden on local authorities.
Why Are Public Health Funerals on the Rise?
Several factors are contributing to the increase in public health funerals:
- Rising cost of funerals: Many families cannot afford to cover funeral arrangement expenses with the cost-of-living crisis. Individuals are leaving less money for end-of-life arrangements which may increase pressure on their families.
- Aging population: As the population ages, more people are dying without close family or financial support.
- Social isolation: An increasing number of people are dying alone. Individuals passing without family or friends to take on the responsibility of funeral arrangements.
Overall, the expenses to cover funeral arrangements has been the most significant factor for public health funerals rather than lack of family or loneliness. This highlights the impact of the cost-of-living crisis across the UK, leading many to delay or neglect planning for end-of-life arrangements.
How Can Blanchards Help
We understand the current challenges surrounding public health funerals. With the Bona Vacantia list currently unavailable, councils are facing difficulties to report unclaimed estates and identifying next of kin. The removal of the Bona Vacantia may cause estate backlogs and make the process of public health funerals more complicated for councils.
Blanchards can reduce the time-consuming burden by locating missing next of kin. Our team have experience in tracing heirs to estates. Local authorities would be relieved of this pressure, as missing relatives would be located to take responsibility for managing the estate.
Call To Action
The rise in public health funerals reflects incoming social and economic issues. Councils are increasingly stretched and need support. Blanchards provides dependable support for public health funerals, helping to ensure the estate is properly resolved. If you wish to work with us, please get in touch. For more articles like this, read our blogs.
