Tens of thousands of pounds were spent on ‘paupers’ funerals’ in Worthing last year

Royal London said the average cost of a basic funeral is £3,757

Tens of thousands of pounds were spent on “paupers’ funerals” in Worthing last year, as more families are unable or unwilling to cover the costs of their loved ones’ arrangements.

Worthing Borough Council spent a total of £21,725 on public health funerals over the 2017-18 financial year, according to a Freedom of Information request submitted by mutual insurer Royal London.

The Local Government Association said there are thousands of people across the country “with no family or friends to care for them or arrange, attend or pay for their funeral”.

Public health funerals, which are also known as paupers’ funerals, are “no frills” services provided by local authorities, which in general include a coffin and the services of a funeral director but do not include flowers, obituaries or transport for family members. Families can attend if they wish.

There were 18 carried out in Worthing in 2017-18, compared with 17 in 2016-17.

The total cost of public health funerals across the UK in 2017-18 was more than £5 million, according to Royal London, which received responses from 275 local authorities.