Fury as UK town brings in '£2,700 fat tax' when locals die

Families could face paying up to £2,700 if a loved one needs a wider grave when they die. (Image: Getty)

Families in one UK town have hit out at a new council charge, which means they could face paying up to £2,700 if a loved one needs a wider grave when they die. The new price has been branded a “fat tax” by critics, who say it unfairly targets people with larger bodies and adds extra stress during bereavement.

The charge has been introduced at Danescourt cemetery in Tettenhall, Wolverhampton, where the council will now offer a 6ft-wide burial plot for those who need it, costing 20% more than the standard 5ft space. Funeral director Ross Hickton called it “not really acceptable or fair”, telling the BBC: “Essentially it’s a fat tax.”

The change is in response to rising demand for larger plots. (Image: Getty)

The City of Wolverhampton Council said the change is in response to rising demand for larger plots, as obesity levels in the city are among the highest in the UK.

According to a 2021 survey, the obesity rate in Wolverhampton was 33.3%, compared to the national average of 25.9%.

A new section of the cemetery has been set aside for wider graves, but some residents believe the move is discriminatory.

One woman, Rosemarie McLaren, told the BBC: “Someone like me who’s a bit bigger is going to be charged more because I’m fat. It’s not acceptable.”

The council said it had asked 25 funeral directors for feedback before making the decision. Ten responded, with only one objection.

But Mr Hickton, who runs Hickton Family Funeral Directors, said the consultation was “meaningless” and failed to involve the public.

He added: “People have paid into the system their entire life to be told the grave is 20% more because of the size of their loved one, it’s not fair.”

According to the BBC, other councils already charge more for larger burial plots, including in Telford, Birmingham, Walsall, Coventry and Staffordshire.

Matthew Crawley, chief executive at the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management, said the charge reflects the practical challenges of digging larger graves.

He said: “You have a finite amount of space. Digging the grave itself will also need extra equipment to keep it safe.”

Critics say the change will only bring extra stress and burden for families. (Image: Getty)

Not everyone is against the decision. One local, Russell Smallman, told the BBC: “There’s a lot of obesity these days. I don’t know whether you can sympathise really.”

But others raised concerns about what would happen if one partner is already buried in a standard grave and the other needs a larger one.

One funeral firm said families had been told they might have to buy a second plot, bury the other partner elsewhere, or even exhume the first.

Mr Hickton called this “truly shocking”, saying: “This is just an extra stress and burden that a family really shouldn’t have to go through.”

In a statement to the BBC, the council said it remained committed to providing “dignity and accessibility for all families”.

It added that, where possible, larger coffins could still be placed at the ends of rows at no extra cost.