Funerals group Dignity swings to loss of nearly £50m

Funerals group Dignity has swung to a loss of nearly £50million and is considering introducing a surcharge on cremations to cushion the impact of higher fuel costs. 

The group, which owns more than 800 funeral outlets, said revenue fell £8.6million as a result of a lower death rate – with almost 400,000 fewer deaths in the first three months of 2022 compared with the same period last year, due to the pandemic.

It operated at a £48million loss in the first half of the year, a big drop from the £41million profit reported a year ago. 

Plans: Dignity, which owns more than 800 funeral outlets, said revenue fell £8.6m as a result of a lower death rate

Dignity changed its prices and introduced cheaper funerals, such as direct cremations, which it said contributed to the profit and revenue fall. 

It has more than 400 vacancies and this shortage led to a bigger gap between the time of a person’s death and their funeral service, which has affected business. 

The company is considering a fuel surcharge but would not comment on the details. 

It is thought that this could result in more costly cremations.