NAFD hits back at study claiming less than half of UK want a funeral
The report stated that finances played a clear role, as 49% of workers said they wanted a funeral compared with 38% of unemployed respondents
The NAFD has hit back at a report from thinktank Theos which claims that less than half (47%) of people want a funeral, claiming it “misses an important perspective” – that of the bereaved family and friends.
The report – ‘Love, Grief, and Hope: Emotional responses to death and dying in the UK’ – was made up of data collected by YouGov to gauge opinions on the subject, as well as the factors that determine a person’s decision to have a funeral or not.
Alongside other demographic factors, the report stated that finances played a clear role, as 49% of workers said they wanted a funeral compared with 38% of unemployed respondents.
However, the biggest markers were religious and spiritual; 76% of frequent worshippers (those who attend religious worship at least once a month) said they wanted a funeral compared with 38% of those who never attend.
In addition, some 59% of self-identified religious respondents wanted a funeral, compared with 39% of their nonreligious counterparts. Religious respondents were also more likely to have decided one way or another.
According to the report authors, Madeleine Pennington and Nathan Mladin, it confirms that “our society keeps death at arm’s length and out of sight”, and that reducing religious affiliation has made “greater room for market forces to shape how we grieve”.
However, the NAFD statement said: “Funerals are as much (if not more) for the living as for the dead, and research has consistently demonstrated that people can hold an inconsistent view: even if they don’t want a funeral for themselves, they would want to be able to arrange one for someone they loved.
“Funerals are a chance to say goodbye and the coming together of a community to support those who are grieving; we know from the pandemic restrictions just how devastating it can be when this is taken away.”
It added: “That’s why it is vitally important that there are good conversations amongst families; funeral plans should include more than just the wishes of the person who is going to die, they should also reflect the needs of the people who will miss them when they are gone.”
