Afternoon cremation fees to rise in Birmingham

The cost of afternoon cremations is going up in Birmingham due to some service times being more popular than others, the council says.

Between the hours of 13:00 and 15:15, fees are set to increase from £895 to £950.

The price hike is part of a raft of fee changes approved by the council for the city's bereavement services, said to be battling financial pressures.

Cabinet member Nicky Brennan said changes were "essential" to ensure bereavement services could continue to be delivered to the highest possible standard.

She pointed out a range of time slots and fees would now be on offer and claimed residents would therefore have "more options".

Those changes mean the cremation fee for a 09:15 service is to be reduced to £750, while the fee between 10:00 and 12:15 is set to remain at £895.

Council papers said some cremation service times were more popular than others and earlier times were "rarely used, so opting for a lower charge may encourage higher usage".

The documents stated "the service is considering the feasibility" of offering a 16:00 time slot "which, where provided, will have an applicable fee of £995".

The prices are due to be applied from 1 December, according to the reports.

Ms Brennan said the council "must deliver a financially viable service that meets citizens' needs and protects the future of service delivery".

She stated the council recognised "increases to fees and charges in this area is not an easy decision to make".

She added: "These are tough but necessary decisions to mitigate against in-year financial pressures within the bereavement service."

Birmingham's current standard adult cremation fee was low compared to neighbouring authorities, council reports stated.