North Wales cremation and burial fees soar to 'worrying' all time high

Families are being hit hard across North Wales as cremation and burial fees soar to an all time high.

A burial now costs an eye-watering £1,334 on average in Wales and Aberystwyth is the most expensive place to be cremated at £795-an increase of 8.2% year-on-year.

According to figures by Funeralbooker – an independent funeral booking service, cremation fees have shot up across the board in the region during the past year, with a 5.3% increase in Conwy, a 1.3% hike in Bangor and 1.1% increase in Wrexham.

Cemeteries fees have also seen an alarming increase with a whopping 9.9% increase in Conwy.

A burial in a cemetery in Conwy now costs £995-a £90 increase in a year. But it’s far more expensive to be buried in a Wrexham cemetery, fees have risen to a hefty £1,586 an increase of 1% from 2016. In Gwynedd cemetery fees have risen to £1,207 an increase of 6.3% year on year.

One of the cheapest counties to be buried is Powys where fees have been frozen for a year.

A burial costs £845 just £4 more expensive than Barry in Merthyr which is the cheapest place to be buried in Wales at £841.

Cruse Bereavement who offer support and counselling to those bereaved, say that families are being forced to take out loans to pay for funerals which cost on average around £3,500.

A spokeswoman for the charity said: “The cost of cremation and burial fees is very worrying for families.

“Not only are people dealing with bereavement they suddenly have big bills to pay, it compounds grief.

“Many people end up paying by credit cards or taking out loans, although the government can step in to help if somebody is on benefits.”

Garry Lloyd Jones who is a funeral director in Llanrwst and Colwyn Bay, said there can be help for families who have trouble paying for a loved one’s cremation and burial.

Garry said: “Funerals double in cost every 10 years.

“It all depends on what the family wants, a funeral can cost as little as £2,000.

“We can apply for grants for hard pressed families if needed, and we can offer payment plans.

“It can get difficult for us as we have to pay crematorium and cemetery fees up front, sometimes it can take years for us to be paid.”

Garry added: “If it’s a sudden death or perhaps somebody who has died at a young age, meeting the costs of a burial can be very traumatic.”

A Conwy Council spokeswoman said: “Some Conwy County Council bereavement service fees and charges have increased in price (between 2-10%) but costs remain either just below or at the national Wales and UK average.”