It has never been more expensive to die, with the cost of dying now rising twice as fast as the cost of living.

It now costs around £5,000 on average to arrange a funeral, with the average price of a burial plot just under £2,000.

The cost of burying a loved one has increased by 20pc in three years, according to funeral comparison site Beyond, more than double that of the overall price increase of other goods over the same period.

Cremation is more common than burial for British funerals today, and the average price for cremation is now close to £1,000. Costs have risen by 17.6pc in three years.

Many people are unaware of the extra costs that can be involved. Funeral bill “add-ons” such as special coffins, pall bearers, embalming and urns could potentially mean paying thousands on top of a basic service.