THE cost of “pauper’s funerals” has risen again with Bradford Council spending £141,337 on them last year, figures reveal.

It is the fourth year in a row the amount the local authority has paid out for these types of funerals has increased and means the council has now spent £658,353 on them since 2014.

Tragically, one of the funerals – officially known as public health funerals – in 2021/22 was someone aged between zero and 17.

These types of funerals are arranged by local authorities for people who have died and have no known relatives to arrange or pay for their funeral, or have relatives who do not want to, or are unable to arrange, their funeral.

In these circumstances, councils have a responsibility to arrange a funeral for the person who has died and must ensure they are treated with dignity and respect.

The amount paid out has risen by almost a quarter from last year, after Bradford Council spent a six-figure sum on public health funerals for the first time, in 2020/21, at a total cost of £115,063.

Last year, the local authority had to organise 89 “pauper’s funerals” – the most of all the years from 2014/15 to 2021/22.

It means the average cost per funeral was £1,588 last year.

The majority of the funerals were for men (68), with less than half of them having no next of kin (29).

There were 21 “pauper’s funerals” for women last year, 10 of whom were without next of kin.

The data shows 31 of those who died were aged between 18 and 59, with 57 of them 60 or over.

There were 81 people cremated, seven buried in their own grave and one person buried in a shared grave.

Bradford Council said: "We have a duty to dispose of a deceased body under the provisions of the National Assistance and Public Health (Control of Disease) Acts 1948, if the person who died has no assets or if there are no relatives who can make funeral arrangements.

"Hospitals and care homes may also be able to help if the person dies while in their care.

“Initial contact is usually through the coroner.

"If the next of kin is known, contact will be made to establish if they will accept responsibility. Legal responsibility for married couples rests with the spouse, and for children it rests with the parents."

Bradford Council has organised 477 public health funerals in total since 2014 now.

A basic service is provided and does not cover things like flowers and transport.