Crowdfunding for brother's funeral after sudden death at 20

A Sheffield family is crowdfunding after 20-year-old Karl-Frederick Hughes died suddenly; SunLife research shows UK funeral costs rose last year and some families are turning to crowdfunding or unregulated loans.

A young man in Sheffield is raising money online to cover funeral costs after his 20-year-old brother died suddenly. The family says they face substantial bills for the funeral, burial and a headstone and have set a GoFundMe target. The case is presented alongside new research showing funeral costs increased in the UK last year. Charities and support services report rising demand for help with funeral expenses. Key facts: - Karl-Frederick Hughes, aged 20, is reported to have died after a severe epileptic seizure and cardiac arrest. - His family have a GoFundMe target of £10,000 to cover the funeral, burial and headstone; about £3,000 had been raised at the time of reporting. - SunLife's research found the average cost of a traditional attended funeral rose 5.3% to £4,510 last year, the largest annual increase since 2016. - Polling in the report showed 15% of recent funeral organisers experienced notable financial concerns; 12% used crowdfunding and 8% borrowed from unregulated lenders. - Lindesay Mace, co-manager of the Down to Earth funeral costs support service run by charity Quaker Social Action, said demand for help has increased and the helpline saw a 20% year-on-year rise in contacts in 2024/25. Summary: The article links one family's fundraising for a young man's funeral to broader rises in UK funeral costs and growing demand for support, reporting that some people are turning to crowdfunding or unregulated lenders to meet funeral expenses. Undetermined at this time.