"Bereaved families have condemned as a "tax on grief" the policy of most councils in Greater Manchester to charge higher fees for burying people who lived in another borough. Some local authorities charge "non-residents" double the price for graves and burials. Families and funeral directors are campaigning for a flat fee to be levied across Greater Manchester's 10 boroughs. Manchester City Council said its fees were calculated to "protect the limited grave space" for local families and offered them a discounted rate."
"It was just shocking to be honest, because I didn't imagine with this being our local cemetery that there would be any extra charge just because of my postcode. We are closer to the cemetery than Stockport Cemetery by quite a fair bit - I think this is one mile away from our homes and Stockport's three and a half miles. It just seemed like a really unnecessary kind of tax on top of grief really."
Most councils in Greater Manchester charge higher fees for burying people who lived in another borough, with some local authorities charging non-residents double for graves and burials. Families and funeral directors are campaigning for a flat fee across the region's 10 boroughs. Manchester City Council states fees aim to protect limited grave space for local families and offers discounted rates to residents. Several bereaved families report substantial extra costs when burying relatives in nearby cemeteries across borough borders, citing postcode-based surcharges of around £1,000 and additional fees for buyers of grave plots. Campaigners describe the charges as an added financial burden during bereavement.
Read at www.bbc.com
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