the dilemma of taking out insurance or paying for the funeral in one go

Complaints about the high cost of housing, the constant increase in the shopping basket or the increase in gasoline prices are usually recurring among ordinary mortals. “You never finish paying”frequently resonates in our ears. But there are times when even when the time for eternal rest arrives, we cannot be calm because we will have to face the costs of burial or cremation.

This Saturday, November 1, the All Hallowsa festive day in which millions of Spaniards go to the different cemeteries of our country to honor the memory of loved ones who are no longer with us. It is likely that many of these deceased persons had a death policy that covers burial expenses, but surely many others did not. The relatives of the latter, therefore, must bear the full cost of burial or cremation.

The dilemma that many families face is If it is better to face the expenses when death occurs or take out death insurance which allows you to pay little by little over the years.

According to a report prepared by the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU), Adding all the costs (coffin, burial or cremation, flowers, car, obituaries…), the price of a funeral can skyrocket above 5,000 euros depending on the city where you live, although the average cost in Spain exceeds 3,700 euros.

“Of the costs of the funeral service, the coffin, ark or coffin is the most expensive section: a common model, without special luxuries, costs between 600 and 1,300 eurosbut the average is around 1,200 euros,” warns the consumer organization in its analysis. “The rent for the funeral home also exceeds 500 euros, And to that we must add other expenses: obituaries, flowers, the hearse, the preparation of the body, personnel expenses…they have very variable amounts, but a medium-sized crown exceeds 100 euros,” he adds.

This document also highlights that in the price of the cemetery, which includes the inhumation service (burial) and the cost of the burial unit (niche)there are important differences and that “some town councils require the payment of additional fees related to maintenance, movement of tombstones…” Thus, the cost of the cemetery can exceed 2,000 euros or barely reach 75 euros depending on the Consistory, being the average price in Spain of 668 euros.

However, there are factors that can cause this price to skyrocket: “if you want to choose niche row; If you want to change the burial unit for a tomb, pantheon…; if the burial is going to be carried out in burial units that the family already has and it is necessary to act on the remains there; or if the concession period is going to be extended from the minimum to the maximum allowed by the city council (which, depending on the case, is usually 75 or 99 years)”.

Regarding incineration, the report states that “This type of service is already chosen in more than 45% of deaths” and that its price “bears a certain relationship with the cemetery service although the price differences are less radical.” In this way, a cremation costs 612 euros on average in Spain, although there are also enormous differences that range between 1,122 and 200 euros.

“You end up paying double or triple”

This organization has also carried out a study on death insurance, concluding that “they tend to be an expensive option” that, in general, “does not pay off.” “Our comparative studies reveal that, in the long run, with death insurance, you end up paying double or triple of what the funeral service costs,” says the OCU.

As revealed by the Spanish Union of Insurance Entities (UNESPA) in its latest social report, Around 46% of the population has contracted death insurance. “Death insurance supports families when one of their members dies. It takes care of organizing the funeral at a particularly delicate moment, as well as other procedures (will, management of digital life, etc.). Practically, half of the Spanish population is protected by this insurance. It is a service that enjoys wide acceptance throughout the country.“, highlights the sector’s employers in their report.

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