A report from the Work and Pensions Committee is urging an overhaul of the funeral support system with even the most basic funeral costs driving families into debt.

A Ministry of Justice (MoJ) proposal will result in a sharp rise in probate fees and potentially significant cash flow problems for bereaved families, reports The Telegraph.

The BBC has reported that the cost of public health funerals, also known as paupers’ funerals, has risen by almost 30% to £1.7m in the past four years. The number of these funerals taking place has also risen by 11% over the same period.

The cost of dying is continuing to increase at an alarming rate according to a recent report by BT and according to the Yorkshire Evening Post – the cost of dying in Leeds is actually one of the highest in the country.