Marie Curie, the UK’s leading end of life charity, held a funeral outside parliament today with 281 empty chairs
to represent the hundreds who die in poverty every day according to its new report,
Dying in Poverty 2025, released today.
Opera singer Camilla Kerslake, a vocal advocate on many social issues, led a eulogy highlighting the scale of the
‘cost of dying crisis’ and the stories of individuals who have been affected by it.
Each chair featured a quote from someone who has been affected by both poverty and terminal illness. They include
Jayne Bishop, who said:
“My son Chase should not have had to spend any of that precious time we had in his final months worrying about
money… If one thing comes out of our negative experience, it’s that I hope the UK Government acts urgently so that people like Chase are protected from poverty at the end of their lives in the future.”
The charity is urging the public to sign its petition urging the UK Government to make actionable changes to address
this crisis.
Matthew Reed, Chief Executive of Marie Curie, said:
“It is heartbreaking to think of people like Chase and his family, already facing unimaginable pain, being forced to worry about basic needs and financial worries in their most vulnerable moments. Social tariffs on energy bills, council tax relief and equity
in end of life benefits are not just policy choices—they are a lifeline for dying people and their families.
“We urge political leaders and policymakers to consider these actionable and realistic policy recommendations so
dying people no longer have to spend their precious final months in cold homes, facing spiralling bills and impossible decisions. Nobody should die in poverty. Every person deserves comfort and dignity at the end of their life.”
The Dying in Poverty Report
According to Marie Curie’s new
Dying in Poverty report, last year one in six people who died in the UK (18 per cent) were living in poverty at the time. This equated to over 103,000 individuals, with some of the highest rates being recorded in London.
Some of the individuals who have experienced living in poverty in the region include
Simon from Croydon East who shares: “I have stage 4 terminal cancer, and I want to die at home but the cost of living is too high” and
Barbara from Uxbridge and South Ruislip who stated “My beloved granddaughter, Katharine, passed away from brain tumours at just 19. My son, Nick, passed away at 43, leaving a wife and young family. Both suffered dreadful financial hardship during
the time my beloved family were suffering so badly.”
The highest pension age death rate in poverty was in Tower Hamlets (32.2 per cent) followed by Newham (29.3 per
cent), Brent (26.7 per cent), Barking and Dagenham (26.3 per cent), Hackney (26.2 per cent), Southwark (25.4 per cent) and Ealing (24.8 per cent). In addition, one of the highest rates of working age deaths in poverty recorded in Tower Hamlets (39.1 per cent).
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The research was carried out by Dr Juliet Stone and Dr Elaine Robinson at the Centre for Research in Social Policy
at Loughborough University. People of working age are more likely to die in poverty than people over pension age, in large part because the State Pension provides a higher income than working-age benefits. Someone just over the pension age with a terminal
illness could receive several hundred pounds more than someone just under that age.
The report also found that across all demographics, people in the last year of life are more likely to be in poverty
than the rest of the population. Again, this increased risk is greater for working-age people (a 32% increase) than pension-age people (23%).
An even higher number – 120,000 – died in fuel poverty*, meaning they were struggling to heat their home or run
vital medical equipment. People using electricity to heat their homes, rather than gas or oil, are more likely to experience fuel poverty – and it is most prevalent in London than any other region. The stats indicate the highest rate of working age deaths
in fuel poverty were in Hackney (31.2 per cent), and the lowest in Newham (28 per cent); the highest rate of pension age deaths in fuel poverty were in Hackney (32.2 per cent) and lowest rate in Hammersmith and Fulham (28.8 per cent).
The report also shows that 23,000 people a year die in ‘deep poverty’ – with incomes 50% below the poverty line.
Almost one in 10 people of working age who die do so in deep poverty – compared to one in 33 people of pension age.
Black and Asian people are twice as likely to be affected. Shockingly, 40 per cent of Black pensioners die in poverty.
Almost half of working-age Black individuals who die, die in poverty. While this is often the legacy of wider inequalities in society, it only underscores the need for action.
Also noted in the report is that those with a non-cancer diagnosis are more likely to die in poverty than people
with cancer. This is likely due to having less contact with palliative care services which may in turn reduce their awareness of, or access to, financial support or advice services.