Ealing has some of the highest levels of end of life poverty in London, according to new figures published by Marie Curie. The charity released its Dying in Poverty 2025 report alongside a symbolic funeral outside Parliament (19 November 2025), to highlight what it describes as the cost of dying crisis.
The report revealed that 26.1% of all people over the age of 20 who died in Ealing were living in poverty during their last year of life. The data also identifies sharp differences between age groups in the borough. Among working age residents aged 20 to 64, the rate rises to 32%. Among pension age residents aged 65 and over, 24.8% died in poverty.
Ealing’s overall rate is higher than those recorded in Hounslow at 25.3%, Harrow at 23.6%, Hillingdon at 23.1% and Hammersmith and Fulham at 22.3%. Some boroughs recorded even higher levels. Tower Hamlets had the highest rates in London, with 39.1% of working age deaths and 32.2% of pension age deaths occurring in poverty. Newham at 29.3% for pension age, Brent at 28.1%, Barking and Dagenham at 26.3% and Hackney at 26.2% also recorded significantly higher levels than Ealing.
Fuel poverty shows a similar pattern. Ealing recorded a fuel poverty rate of 24.8% among all people over the age of 20 in their last year of life. This includes 24.7% of working age residents and 24.9% of pension age residents. Brent recorded higher levels overall at 26.9%, including 26.8% for working age people and 27.3% for those aged 65 and over. Hillingdon and Harrow both reported overall fuel poverty rates of 21.9%. In each borough, 22.1% of working age residents and 21.8% of pension age residents were affected.
Hammersmith and Fulham recorded the highest rate among the five boroughs at 28.3%. This includes 28.1% for working age people and 28.8% for those aged 65 and over. Hounslow recorded 24.2% overall, including 24.1% for working age residents and 24.2% for those aged 65 and over. Hackney recorded the highest working age fuel poverty rate in London at 31.2%.
To draw attention to the findings, Marie Curie placed 281 empty chairs outside the Houses of Parliament. Each chair represented one person the charity estimates dies in poverty every day in the UK.
Opera singer and campaigner Camilla Kerslake led a brief ceremony that featured testimonies from families who experienced severe financial strain at the end of life. One of the messages displayed came from Jayne Bishop, whose teenage son Chase died in 2022. She said: “My son Chase should not have had to spend any of that precious time we had in his final months worrying about money. 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 research, carried out by the Centre for Research in Social Policy at Loughborough University, found that more than 103,000 people died in poverty across the UK last year – around one in six of all deaths. Nationally, 32% of working age people aged 20 to 64 died in poverty during their final year of life. Among people aged 65 and over, the figure is 23%. The report also highlights inequalities affecting Black and Asian communities. Black pensioners are twice as likely to die in poverty as the national average.
Marie Curie has launched a petition calling for a social energy tariff and improved financial support for people with terminal illnesses, particularly those below pension age.
It aims to gather 50,000 signatures before submitting the petition to government in January 2026.
Matthew Reed, the charity’s chief executive, said: “Nobody should die in poverty. Every person deserves comfort and dignity at the end of their life.”
