Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that funeral services remain affordable for all.

The Competition and Markets Authority continues to monitor the funerals market following its recent investigation, publishing annual reviews on developments in the market. The first review, published in January 2023, set out evidence that since the introduction of transparency rules (part of the Competition and Markets Authority’s Funerals Market Investigation Order 2021)  funeral prices are flat after many years of real-terms rises. This means that costs paid by UK consumers for funeral services are likely to be lower as a result of the Competition and Markets Authority’s intervention.

The Competition and Markets Authority will continue its work to ensure that all consumers are able to benefit from the measures introduced in the Order and it has the information required to monitor consumer outcomes.

Additionally, the Government helps with the cost of funeral services for many bereaved families through the Funeral Expenses Payment scheme and the Children’s Funeral Fund.