COUNCILS in Northern Ireland have spent more than £12,000 in the past year on 'pauper's funerals'.
A pauper's funeral, or public health funeral, is arranged when the deceased has no traceable family or the family is unable or unwilling to arrange and pay for a funeral.
Local authorities across the north arranged public health funerals for 14 people during the financial year 2018/19 at a total cost of £12,249.
The Commissioner for Older People, Eddie Lynch, said he was "saddened but not surprised" at the figures which showed a "worryingly growing trend in the loneliness epidemic".
"With an increasing ageing population, sadly, many older people are at a higher risk of becoming lonely and socially isolated," he said.
"As a society we need to take time out of our hectic lives to consider the adverse effects of loneliness and social isolation and look out for those who may be affected by this."
Across Northern Ireland and Britain the total spend on public health funerals in 2018/19 was £6.3m, with more than 4,000 taking place.
The details were compiled by mutual insurer Royal London after receiving 383 responses from local authorities to Freedom of Information requests.
The average cost of a public health funeral to councils was £1,507.
Nearly a third (29 per cent) were undertaken by councils because bereaved families were unable to afford the cost, Royal London said.
It also found that 21 councils by default do not return ashes to the family after a cremation and 18 charge bereaved families for the ashes to be returned.
Louise Eaton-Terry of Royal London said: "It's incredibly sad when bereaved families have no choice but to seek a public health funeral.
"It's about time the system was overhauled, and we're calling for legislation on minimum standards for public health funerals to ensure everyone can, at the very least, attend a funeral and collect their loved one's ashes."
A Local Government Association spokesman said public health funerals are a "last resort" and councils seek to ensure the deceased are "provided with a dignified funeral".
"With local authorities facing challenging funding pressures the increase in the number of public health funerals is putting further pressure on council budgets, and driving them to limit the costs they incur in arranging these funerals," he added.
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:: Number of public health funerals in 2018/19 and overall cost per council:
Antrim and Newtownabbey (2) £1,179
Ards and North Down (1) £495
Armagh Banbridge and Craigavon (1) £250
Belfast City Council (7) £8,440
Causeway Coast and Glens (0)
Derry City and Strabane (0)
Fermanagh and Omagh (0)
Lisburn and Castlereagh (0)
Mid and East Antrim (1) £980
Mid Ulster (0)
Newry and Mourne (2) £905
TOTAL: (14) £12,249
