Too big to bury: council imposes ‘fat tax' on graves
A 6ft-wide plot at Danescourt Cemetery in Tettenhall, Wolverhampton will cost families £2,700 – a 20pc premium on the cost of a standard 5ft grave.
Critics said that it shows a 'lack of empathy for what a family goes through'.
The Labour-run authority made the decision in May, a month after increasing council tax by the maximum amount of 4.99pc.
Ross Hickton, of Hickton Family Funeral Directors in the West Midlands, told The Telegraph the 'fat tax' would 'push more people into funeral poverty'.
He added: 'If you live in Wolverhampton, you have the right to be buried here without extra costs. You shouldn't be paying a premium for a basic right. It shows a lack of empathy for what a family goes through.'
'Under the radar' decision
Mr Hickton claimed that the council failed to consult the public on the changes and only reached out to local funeral directors: 'Wolverhampton passed this under the radar.
'If you've paid into the system your whole life, through council tax and income tax, you shouldn't be forced to pay an additional 20pc tax.'
The decision to introduce the extra charge was made after an increase in demand for larger graves, the council told the BBC.
The city has higher than normal obesity rates of 33.3pc, compared with the national average of 25.9pc, according to a 2021 survey.
One of the first councils to introduce higher fees for larger graves was Houghton Regis Town Council in 2009.
On its website, the Bedfordshire town hall said: 'Where the coffin width is such that the burial encroaches into the next available burial plot, such that it cannot be used, the above fees will be increased by 50pc.' It would take the cost from £364 to £728.
The National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors asked its members if their council charged more for bigger plots. Out of 165 respondents, 25pc said yes.
The BBC found that a third of 27 local authorities in the West Midlands charged more for wider graves.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
3 hours ago
- The National
Richest Scottish households have one fifth of country's wealth
With the figures showing the wealthiest 2% of households have almost a fifth (18%) of wealth in Scotland, campaigners said the data highlighted 'the vast scale of unfairness in Scotland today'. The report looked at wealth in Scotland – which includes the physical wealth of households' belongings, as well as savings and investment, property and pension wealth. The latest data, for the period 2018 to 2020, showed median household wealth in Scotland stood at £214,000 – with this down from £242,700 in 2016 to 2018 and £250,700 in 2014 to 2016. READ MORE: Palestinian journalists 'reporting on own extermination' call for action The report, which was published by the Scottish Government, noted: 'A typical household in the wealthiest 10% of households had £1.7 million in total wealth, whereas a typical household in the least wealthy 10% of households had £7,600.' It added: 'The least wealthy households rarely own property or have any private pension savings. Their wealth is mainly made up of the value of their possessions such as cars, furniture and clothing.' The report also noted that wealth can 'vary a lot by age', saying that 'younger households are less likely to have much or even any pension or property wealth, and most of their wealth is made up of the value of their belongings (physical wealth)'. It added: 'In general, people start building up wealth once they start receiving a salary, buy some goods, maybe save some money, and pay into a private pension scheme such as a workplace pension. 'Many buy a home, and through paying off their mortgage they build property wealth.' Meanwhile when people retire, the report said that 'pension wealth gets drawn upon and used up, while some people also downsize their homes and reduce their property wealth'. However campaigners at Tax Justice Scotland – which wants Holyrood's powers to be used to deliver greater equality – insisted changes are needed to 'share wealth more fairly'. Speaking on behalf of the group Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) – Scotland's largest trade union body – general secretary Roz Foyer said: 'These figures show the vast scale of unfairness in Scotland today. Roz Foyer (Image: free) 'Whilst those at the top accumulate more wealth, more than one in five children grow up in poverty and our public services are starved of the investment they urgently need. This cannot go on.' Foyer demanded: 'We need urgent tax reform to help share wealth more fairly and to distribute resources right across the country. READ MORE: Gordon Brown's had a good idea. But it won't fix the problem he created 'Over time, public finance pressures mean that most of us may need to pay a bit more, but this data makes clear this must start with those at the very top. 'In Scotland, that means parties must set out clear plans to scrap Council Tax and replace it with a fairer, modern property tax. 'At the UK level, we also need common sense wealth taxes that ensure the richest pay their fair share.' She insisted: 'It's time for our political leaders to step up with serious tax plans to help close this growing wealth gap and to invest in creating a fairer, more prosperous future for all of us.' Scottish Green equalities spokeswoman Maggie Chapman criticised the 'obscene inequality in these statistics', adding: 'There is a small number of people who are very well off, and a far greater number who have very little.' She added: 'Scotland has a very long way to go if we are to build a fairer society, and this must be a clarion call for change.' Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat MSP Willie Rennie said that 'so many people are finding that there is nothing left at the end of the month'. He said: 'People are paying the price for the SNP's incompetence and Liz Truss and the Conservatives crashing the economy.' Shirley-Anne Somerville (Image: PA) Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: 'As a result of Scottish Government policies, the poorest 10% of households with children are estimated to be £2,600 a year better off in 2025-2026.' However, she added: 'Inequality is still too high, with too many economic powers left in the hands of the UK Government which has too often sought to balance the books on the backs of the poorest. 'With the full powers of independence, Scotland could do more to take a different approach from the UK status quo, and take decisions which would make Scotland the fairer, more equal country that we want to see.'
The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
Is Britain's sluggish economy the fault of the Labour government?
The latest economic growth numbers may have been fairly unimpressive by most historical standards, but they were rather better than recent readings and surpassed market expectations. The first estimate of the size of the UK economy showed it had expanded by 0.3 per cent in the second quarter of this year, against a rise of 0.7 per cent in the first three months. Investors had 'priced in' a minimal 0.1 per cent rise. The annual increase, ie on the same period last year, is 1.2 per cent. Is this good news or bad news? What's happening? The pattern of sluggish economic growth that has prevailed in Britain, and most of the West, since the global financial crisis of 2008, is proving to be the new normal. It's not what we had come to expect. For most of the postwar period, punctuated by stop-go cycles, average economic growth was running at 2 to 2.5 per cent a year, with some endemic inflation and structural unemployment. By the 1990s this had accelerated to something like 2.7 per cent, combined with lower inflation and unemployment. In recent years, excepting the pandemic, growth has been more like 1 to 2 per cent. This is driven by low investment and a poor productivity record, exacerbated by market loss post-Brexit. Is this what Labour promised? No. It gave the impression that the very act of electing a Labour government to replace the incompetent Conservatives would lift confidence and 'kickstart' the economy, but no firm evidence of that has emerged. Expectations have not been fulfilled. For example, the Labour manifesto stated: 'Sustained economic growth is the only route to improving the prosperity of our country and the living standards of working people. That is why it is Labour's first mission for government. It means being pro-business and pro-worker. We are the party of wealth creation.' Rachel Reeves, when she was shadow chancellor, promised 'securonomics', but little has since been heard about that either; tax rises and welfare cuts have been the main talking points. Will Labour's policies work? They may well do, but not necessarily fast enough to produce tangible results by the time of the next general election, and to rescue Labour's second term. There are many measures that should edge up growth, even if each is comparatively modest: the Brexit reset; trade deals with the US and India; making the public finances stable; reforming planning rules; expanding airports; building 1.5 million homes; green energy including nuclear power; loosening financial regulation; making room for cuts in interest rates; and some strategic investments in new sectors. Headwinds for the UK include the continuing world trade war, cuts in migration, a trend to higher debt-financing costs globally, and the prospect of more wars. The problem is that any major investment drive takes years, which means that much of the benefit in lifting the trend rate of economic growth won't be felt until the early to mid-2030s – by which time some other political party may be in power and claiming the credit. What can Labour do? Up its presentation. As with the NHS, voters need hard evidence that things are indeed improving, even if slowly, and that they are on the path to better times. That means explaining why present sacrifices have to be made, but also some vision of the rewards that will follow as a result. The party needs to boast and showcase its successes. Does it matter? The economy will always be central, which in a way is a strength for Labour given that it can't win on the 'culture war' issues. A display of determination and competence in running the public finances and the wider economy can win the confidence of the voters. Unfortunately, Reeves has made too many errors of political judgement to be confident that the public will be receptive to anything she says. But give it time, and some evidence of higher living standards and improved public services, and that can be turned around. Is the opposition capitalising on Labour's misfortunes? Not that much. The words 'Liz Truss' and 'mini-Budget' still make people – including the current shadow chancellor – wince. The memories of the Tory years in power aren't that rosy: a long spell of austerity, followed by Brexit, Partygate, splits, crises, and general 'chaos and confusion'. Labour can still rightly pin some of the blame for 'broken Britain' on 14 years of Tory rule. The electorate simply isn't yet ready to give the Tories a hearing; they've apologised for Truss, but it's not enough. Meanwhile, perhaps from frustration with the two main parties, voters are curiously susceptible to the lavish and unrealistic promises made by Nigel Farage and Reform UK. Again, this could actually turn to Labour's advantage if it concentrates on the not-too-difficult task of proving that Farage's fantastical figures don't add up. Not much sign of that yet, though. Labour's biggest problem isn't so much the economy as complacency.
The Independent
5 hours ago
- The Independent
UK university tuition fees could rise again
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson is considering allowing universities to raise tuition fees annually in line with inflation to improve their financial stability. This follows a previous announcement that tuition fees, frozen at £9,250 since 2017, would increase in September 2025 based on the Retail Price Index. The proposal addresses concerns about the financial health of universities, with a report indicating 40 per cent of English institutions may face budget deficits this year. A significant factor contributing to universities' financial struggles is a decline in the number of international students. Labour's position on tuition fees has evolved, with Keir Starmer retracting his pledge to abolish them, now seeking a "fairer solution" due to affordability concerns.
