On 16 September 2021 the Funerals Market Investigation Order was brought into force by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). It placed several legal requirements on UK funeral directors, including displaying prices online and in branch.
Since September 2021, our Down to Earth funeral costs team has reported to the CMA 240 funeral directors which we have found to be breaching the Order.
Lindesay Mace, who leads QSA's influencing work on funeral poverty and funeral costs, said: “It is scandalous that, well over a year after the CMA's Order came into force, so many companies are still abdicating their legal responsibility to bereaved customers. Those in the funeral industry who are not yet compliant with the Order need to step up and quickly, and if they don’t, we trust the CMA will exercise its powers of enforcement. Arranging a funeral can be a distressing experience, even more so if you don’t have the funds. People should not have the added stress of feeling in the dark about prices and payment terms.”
“It is scandalous that, well over a year after the CMA's Order came into force, so many companies are still abdicating their legal responsibility to bereaved customers."
QSA's Lindesay mace
During 2018-2021 the CMA conducted a full-scale investigation into the funeral industry after finding many families struggled to find clear prices and details of services online, and were unable to shop around.
QSA had helped to bring about the CMA’s investigation through its Fair Funerals campaign, and provided feedback and evidence throughout.
QSA's Down to Earth funeral costs helpline supports people who are faced with organising a funeral and struggling to pay.
The average basic funeral in the UK costs £4,056, according to Sunlife, with 17% of customers struggling to pay for one. In the context of the ongoing cost of living crisis, many more bereaved families will be pushed into debt to cover funeral costs.
We help people to consider options, reduce costs and raise funds towards the funeral. In the course of this work we research the prices and services of hundreds of funeral directors. To date we have identified 240 which we have found to be not complying with the CMA's requirements around displaying prices or payment terms, and we have reported these to the CMA.