21/04/2026
Wes Streeting's confirmation that DHSC will lead on funeral regulation is the right decision, and overdue.
Credit to Claire Stockdale, Tristan Essex, and Emma Hardy MP, whose persistence after the Legacy Funeral Directors case in Hull forced this into the open.
But regulating funeral directors alone won't be enough. Families also need support immediately after a death, navigating decisions, costs, and paperwork at their most vulnerable.
That's where independent bereavement navigation matters.
At Funeral Experts, we've built and tested this in Liverpool with the NHS and local authorities. Free to families. Independent of funeral directors. Anglia Ruskin University's evaluation of 149 families found average funeral savings of ~£900 and maximised income of over £235,000.
Bereavement is a public health issue. DHSC now has a chance to build a safer, fairer pathway rather than just regulate the sector.
Families from Hull involved in the Legacy funerals scandal are campaigning for industry reforms.