Britain’s fat people hit by strange tax

Will have to pay more for wide grave!

London (Team Newsbuddy). A cemetery in Britain has decided to impose extra tax on fat people for providing them with a wide grave after their death. This decision is being severely criticized. People are calling it ‘fat tax’. The council has decided to impose extra charges for wide graves in Danescourt Cemetery in Wolverhampton city of Britain. The council argues that due to the increasing obesity level in the city, the demand for large-sized graves has increased, which requires more hard work and resources. This policy is being termed as discriminatory and insensitive. Wolverhampton City Council said that the standard grave size in Danescourt Cemetery is 2 feet 6 inches wide and 6 feet 6 inches long. Currently its cost is 1,295 pounds i.e. about 1,37,000 rupees. In some cases, wide graves are required for large coffins, which can be up to 4 feet in size. Digging such graves requires more time, effort and space, due to which the council has fixed the price for them at 2,095 pounds i.e. about Rs 2,21,000. Local people and funeral directors have called this policy ‘fat tax’ and called it unfair and insulting.

Council’s argument
At the same time, the council says that this additional fee is only to cover the increased cost due to large coffins, and not to target the body size of the deceased. The council said in its defense that this policy has been made keeping in mind the growing problem of obesity. According to official figures, the rate of obesity in Britain has increased rapidly in the last few decades, and this problem is also serious in Wolverhampton.

Discrimination against obese people
Critics say that this policy has been named and promoted incorrectly, which makes it seem discriminatory against people suffering from obesity. The issue has also gained momentum on social media, where many people called it “insensitive” and “shameful”. One user wrote, “Wolverhampton Council should be ashamed. Where’s the justice in punishing fat people even after they’ve died?” Meanwhile, some local residents have suggested that the council should reconsider the policy and look for alternative solutions, such as applying a flat fee for all graves or providing subsidies for larger coffins.