I am an atheist, so my comments may offend some of your readers; I will therefore apologise in advance.
I am particularly concerned about the spiralling cost of funerals, as outlined in the April ‘Mature Times’ and I feel we are being softened up to accept higher, and ever higher charges.
Big bucks are to be made by the funeral directors (many owned by large national chains), local authority Crematoria (some now privatised), and now the burgeoning ‘Funeral Plan’ insurance business. Where do they get these charge from?
Obviously some people have a ‘faith’, others have a particular desire to give the deceased a good send off, but people like me, who see nothing after death, are saddled with these high charges just to dispose of my body.
I don’t want to be fleeced after my death, so why can’t I opt for a simple body disposal service for a few hundred pounds? Subject to certain conditions, I have donated my body to a teaching hospital, where it will serve a useful function, but if this doesn’t work out, my inheritance, which is gifted to Age UK, will be seriously reduced.
People are very vulnerable at the time of a death and nobody wants to be seen as mean, but I think they are being exploited by the funeral industry at this most vulnerable time.
Could we please have ‘Mature’ discussions on this subject and some effort to stop this ever growing rip-off?
Colin Gray, Telford
