France, London The Local Government Association (LGA) reported that councils in England conducted 4,400 public health funerals (PHFs) in the 2022-23 period, representing a 13% increase from the previous year, when 3,900 PHFs were carried out at a cost of 5.63 million. The total expenditure for these funerals in the recent year reached 5.96 million.

Public health funerals are arranged by councils when a resident dies outside of a hospital and no relatives can be located, or when the family is unable to afford a funeral. Heather Kidd, chair of the LGA’s safer and stronger communities board, emphasized that the rising number of PHFs illustrates the increasing responsibilities councils face amid diminishing resources. She highlighted the importance of providing dignified treatment for the most vulnerable individuals in society.

Kidd also called for long-term funding certainty for councils to ensure they can maintain the high standards required for public health funerals and other essential services.