South Kesteven District Council paid over £35,000 for 'pauper's funerals', Freedom of Information request reveals

A district council paid more than £35,000 for public health funerals over a four year period.

Since January 1, 2018, South Kesteven District Council has received 93 enquiries about potential funerals and has arranged 27, a Freedom of Information request has found.

The highest total in one year was eight, arranged in 2022, and the most expensive cost £4,006 in 2021.

On the highest costing funeral, Coun Annie Mason, cabinet member for people and safer communities, said: “This particular funeral involved opening a double plot, which required the hire of specialist equipment.

“This funeral was also a burial, rather than the usual cremation, which accounts for the additional costs in this instance.”

A public health funeral, also known as a ‘pauper's funeral’, are services arranged by the local authority when someone has died and they have no next of kin.

Under the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984, local authorities have a statutory duty to arrange for the burial or cremation of an individual if no alternative arrangements can be made.

However, the act does not define how local authorities should carry out this duty, meaning there is flexibility in how these funerals are delivered, according to the Government website.

In 2018, South Kesteven District Council arranged three funerals, four in 2019, and six in 2020 and 2021.

The cost of the funerals range from £1,045 to £4,006.

The three funerals in 2018 cost £1,275, £1,375 and £1,368.

In 2019, two funerals cost £1,045, one cost £1,099 and the other cost £1,250.

In 2020, two funerals cost £1,045 and the other four cost £1,250.

In 2021, alongside the most expensive, two cost £1,200, two cost £1,250 and the other cost £1,400.

Seven out of eight funerals in 2022 cost £1,200, with the other costing £1,377.

Local authorities can attempt to find any next of kin by accessing public records and also talking with known friends or neighbours of the deceased.

It is suggested local authorities set a timeframe to locate next of kin. If they are unsuccessful then they will take the funeral on.

The cost of these funerals can be retrieved from the deceased’s estate.

However, in cases when the deceased has no estate to recover costs, the whole cost of the funeral is from the local authority.

This is when the deceased person is referred to the local authority for the possibility of a ‘pauper's funeral’.