Beyond the Cost of Dying
Impact Assessment: 1st Year Pilot of Funeral Experts in Liverpool with Liverpool City Council and Liverpool University Hospitals Foundation Trust
September 2025
Prepared by: Dr Franziska Sohns & Peter MacDonald (Anglia Ruskin University)
In collaboration with: Funeral Experts
Confidentiality: Public Submission
Parliamentary Briefing Note
Date: 3 December 2025
Headline Findings
This UKRI funded impact assessment demonstrates that “Passive Signposting” is insufficient for the most vulnerable. Data from the Liverpool Pilot (2024–25) proves that Hybrid Navigation (Digital + Manned Support) is essential:
Average saved per family
Entitlements unlocked
Positive feedback
The Challenge & The Solution
While the Cost of Living dominates the agenda, a quiet Cost of Dying crisis is driving debt and dependency in every constituency. It is a universal event that, without support, is pushing grieving families into poverty.
Our work integrates funeral and bereavement support to fix this. We combine a digital platform with a manned service of safeguarding trained experts. We have the answer, we now need the support to start scaling it.
“Dealing with the death of a loved one can be one of the most overwhelming situations any of us have to deal with… All we have to do is help people find the bereavement and funeral support that is right for them.”
— Martyn James, Consumer Rights Campaigner
NHS Validation: The NHS Innovation Service has assessed the Funeral Experts model at the highest level of maturity, awarding a 3/3 score.
Executive Summary
Bereavement places significant strain on families and generates avoidable demand across health and local authority services. For the system, unsupported bereavement can lead to repeat GP appointments, safeguarding concerns, hospital readmissions, and costly public health funerals.
Funeral Experts operates a hybrid model: alongside our digital platform, we provide a manned service staffed by bereavement support experts. All advisors are safeguarding trained and advanced DBS vetted.
Strategic Policy Alignment
| Committee Finding | Funeral Experts Solution |
|---|---|
| “Inequalities in access to care” persist by postcode or status. | Targeted Support: Reaching the families most at risk of falling through the cracks, those that “passive” signposting models consistently fail. |
| “Workforce capacity” is a critical barrier. | Capacity Release: Removing non clinical administrative burdens from frontline staff. |
Call to Action: A Pathfinder for National Scale
To move from “passive signposting” to “active navigation,” we ask Commissioners and Integrated Care Boards to take four specific steps:
- 1. Commission a Pathfinder Pilot: Approve a formal pilot in one locality to validate the economic model.
- 2. Mandate Secure Referrals: Implement a Data Sharing Agreement (DSA) to ensure bereaved next of kin are referred electronically.
- 3. Measure “Left Shift” Impact: Evaluate the pilot against NHS Long Term Plan priorities: reducing avoidable appointments and releasing clinical capacity.
- 4. Enforce “True Independence”: Mandate an Open Data Standard for financial transparency. Any signposting service must declare funding from the funeral trade.
Case Studies: The Human Impact
Case Study 1: Preventing a Public Health Funeral
Situation: An elderly woman faced the unexpected death of her adult son. With no savings and significant debts, she was at risk of a public health funeral and experiencing severe distress.
Intervention: Funeral Experts provided urgent support, identified available funding, and helped coordinate a manageable payment plan.
Outcome: A public health funeral was avoided and the client was able to honour her son’s life with dignity.
Case Study 2: Enabling Clinical Care
Situation: A patient delayed urgent medical treatment until a family member’s funeral could be arranged. Financial constraints had left the deceased in the mortuary for several weeks.
Intervention: Funeral Experts conducted an accurate benefit assessment and coordinated a dignified funeral within the available budget.
Outcome: The patient proceeded with their treatment after receiving practical and emotional support.
Commissioning & Implementation:
Email us at info@funeralexperts.com to request the full report.