Price rise in the cost of burials and cremations

The price of burials and cremations in Sheffield is going up.
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Sheffield Council’s bereavement services looks after 16 cemeteries and two crematoriums and says it needs to increase prices so it can continue to offer a high standard.

Around 3,000 cremations and 650 burials take place annually across these sites, along with specific services such as burial of cremated remains, purchasing and displaying plaques and the storage of remains.

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Three of the existing cemeteries are closed to new burial plots and are only used when existing graves are reopened for further interments.

Grenoside is a privately owned and managed crematorium and burial is also possible within various churchyards across the city.

Along with providing burials and cremations, the council is also obliged by law to manage and maintain the development, safety and cleanliness of sites.

Lisa Firth, head of parks and countryside, said in a report: “Increased income of around £260,000 will be generated from the proposals, using Sheffield average numbers of burials and cremations per year.

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“These changes mean that we can continue to provide these services without reducing the quality or scale of provision.

“The fee increases are realistic and reasonable and are preferable to cutting costs which would result in a reduction in the quality of service provided.

“The additional income may be used to improve bereavement services facilities in cemeteries and crematoriums, and enable facilities to be maintained to a high standard in the future.”

The cost of an adult burial in a grave rises from £1,090 to £1,200 while cremations increase from £840 to £900. Cremation with no service or family attending goes up from £540 to £600.

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There is a new category for “non-viable foetus” at a charge of £100. There remains no charge for a stillborn child or child whose age at time of death was under five. For children over five, the charge rises from £96 to £100.

Purchasing the lease to a grave plot – entitling the holder to exclusive use for 50 years – will rise from £925 to £950.

Cremation and burial fees in Sheffield are cheaper than Leeds and Rotherham.

Ms Firth adds: “Sheffield has a higher proportion of population aged 65 years or over – 92,000 people – compared to the other core cities. This is projected to increase by 2036, with the number of residents aged over 85 nearly doubling.

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“The increase in fees may impact upon middle aged to older adults as they may be more likely to pay for the cost of the service. This includes those in receipt of state pension who may be on reduced income.

“The increase in fees for exclusive rights and burial has the potential to have a more significant impact on certain faith groups due to their religious preference for burial.

“For example, people of the Muslim and Jewish faiths primarily use burial, Hindus and Sikhs solely cremation and people of the Christian faith use either method.”