Ashes to Admin: The Caseload of a Council Funeral Officer

by Evie King

‘I’ve a body out the back for you...'

Imagine having that sentence said to you. And then imagine it actually being pertinent. Welcome to Evie King’s world.

What happens if you die without family or money? The answer to this very three-in-the-morning question is that Evie, or someone like her, will step in and arrange your funeral.

Evie is a local council worker charged with carrying out Section 46 funerals under the Public Health Act. Or to put it in less cold, legislative language; funerals for those with nobody around, willing or able to bury or cremate them.

Ashes to Admin lifts the coffin lid on some moving and unexpected personal life stories. Sometimes tragic, as with the case of an unidentified woman found on a beach buried without even a name, but often uplifting and occasionally hilarious.

Ultimately, Evie discovers that her job is more about life than it is about death, funerals being for the living and death being merely a trigger to rediscover a life and celebrate it against the odds.

'Evie's memoir of a life spent organising what were until recently still known as 'pauper's funerals' is by turns hilarious and heartfelt. It lifts the lid on the lives, and more importantly the deaths, of our country's forgotten people, dignifying them, and shaming our nation. It's a cliché, but I laughed and I cried and I realised I have wasted my life. A kind of campaigning journalism written in the witty and waspish tone of the funniest woman in the workplace, it should be essential reading for policy makers. I can't recommend this book enough. A Road To Wigan Pier for post-Brexit Britain. Poverty Porn in reverse, raising the spirits, dignifying the human experience, and demanding action'
– Stewart Lee

Genres: Nonfiction, Audiobook, Memoir, Death, Book Club, Autobiography

243 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 2, 2023

About the author

Evie King is a council worker and writer. A former stand up comedian, she has always written short form pieces in the margins of her various day jobs, contributing to New Humanist, Guardian Comment is Free, BBC Comedy and Viz Comic. After moving to the seaside and going part-time she had more time for writing and completed her first book, Ashes to Admin, about her job arranging council funerals. It has sold over 10,000 copies, was selected by Stewart Lee for the London Review of Books one hundred books for the next twenty years collection, and won the ASDS 2025 Book Award. Her second book, Get Ahead of Being Dead is coming in June 2026. She is an ambassador for missing persons and cold case charity Locate International, presents as an expert practitioner at international death conferences and heads up the UK training programme for council funeral workers.

Reviews

[Sam Swash · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who works at a Council and studied death culture at university, it was probably inevitable that I would find Ashes to Admin immensely enjoyable.

The author instils the stories of those who have received a Section 46 Council funeral with a level of humour which makes what at times can be quite an emotional read also a very funny one.

It is incredibly uplifting to read the stories of people who, on the outset, look like they have nobody left in the world to care about them, transform into people with well-attended funerals which many might envy. That transformation is often the result of the work of a council worker like Evie in really caring about those who land in her work in-tray; researching, making phone calls, trawling social media and the deceased's home for clues as to who they are and the people who filled their universe in life.

I found the author's attitude to dying to be positively infectious, so the book has probably had a lasting impact on the ways in which I think about death and dying, as well as making the most out of living.

Reading Ashes to Admin encouraged me to fire off a whole host of questions to my Council's Bereavement Services Officer and I was very relieved to find out in response that, as in Evie's case, my local Council provides a celebrant and does their best to provide Section 46 funeral recipients with as many honoured wishes as possible.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Evie works for her local council where she organises the funerals of those who have no family or whose family cannot afford to lay them to rest. I've learned a lot from this memoir (like, who knew you could bequeath your loyalty card points) and it's made me think a little more about my own inevitable demise. Evie's commitment to her people is commendable and she's the kind of worker you'd want assigned to your case. This is a well-written memoir that had me streaming with tears one minute and snorting with laughter another.

[Iona Sharma]

The style doesn't work for me, but this is a truly fascinating book about section 46 public health funerals - i.e., when the council steps in to bury or cremate a person who had nobody in their life who could do it for them. It's a mixture of lonely people, people who had no family but many friends, and harrowingly, a woman who was washed ashore with no identity, no name, and how on earth you give a decent funeral to someone entirely lost. Despite the style thing I enjoyed it a lot.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5*

This book was such a pleasant surprise. I was pretty sure I'd find it interesting, but I wasn't expecting to find it so moving. Whilst most people would not want a council funeral by choice, if they were to ever need one then they would be very lucky to have Evie King be the one to organise it. She tells all the stories of people whom she has arranged funerals for with such tenderness and respect for who they were and the lives they had lived. This was incredibly uplifting and hopeful, given the subject matter.

[A G Hind · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unexpected treasure. Want to read a book about death? No, neither did I. But I bought it anyway on the recommendation of Viz magazine - yes, that one.

I did not expect such a thoughtful and engaging story of how this particular council officer gets involved and organises the affairs and funerals of people who die with no-one to assist. It’s peppered with a lot of humour, all of it respectful and thoughtfully presented in context. Who imagined it could be so much fun?

Each chapter focuses on a case, with one spanning two (the second of which is the last chapter in the book). I can’t recommend this book highly enough. Not only was it the most enjoyable read I’ve had for a long time, it restored my faith in council officers! Such a great book - buy it and read it now

[Amanda F · Rating 5 out of 5]

So well done and points at something I didn't even know existed. I think Ms King does a great job in making the moments honest and heartbreaking and yet hopeful and even funny. This was just so good and I'm glad I read it.

[Kelly Haddow · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very moving firsthand account of a council job most people won't even realise exists. Which is crazy when you think about it. Beautifully written, beautiful, heartbreaking, uplifting and serious food for thought for everyone since as she (obviously) correctly points out, we all die. We need more Evie's in this world.

[Flapper72 · Rating 5 out of 5]

FANTASTIC. Sorry, rather crass to start a review in block capitals but I wanted to get people's attention. This is another of those books that just appeared on my feed (and was probably on a special offer or something) and I downloaded on a whim and it really is fantastic. The author, has relocated, changed jobs and works in the council and ends up 'doing' the 'Pauper's Funerals' - section 46. This is a story of someone who has such humanity and kindness and treats each and every individual as a real person and discovers as much as she can about them. Everyone has had someone and she is determined to go and find those people. Her writing is brilliant, amusing and honest. She forges relationships with people in the death/funeral industry so that she can get what she thinks her 'clients' (sorry - can't think of a better word) deserve. I like her honestly - she's a single person without children and realises that she might be one of these people who dies alone and isn't found for sometime but that doesn't make her sad - it's just a statement of fact. She also has no believe in any afterlife. I find it comforting that someone is doing such an amazing job because it's the right, kind, compassionate thing to do (and not because of some belief in an afterlife and a means of getting a golden ticket perhaps). Please read this book. You will meet individuals who, although often long dead when the author met them, you get to know, understand and enjoy. Also, although about death, this is almost a 'feel good' book. Members of the public, who never met some of these individuals, often felt a need to attend their funeral service so that they weren't along. I can't recommend this highly enough (just incase I haven't said before!)

[Geicodave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tales from a public administrator

The author works in England performing the duties that are performed in the US by county public administrators. She handles the funerals and final affairs of those who die without friends or families or anyone willing or able to make their final arrangements or settle their final affairs. She describes several of her cases in depth. How she does her job makes for very interesting reading, and the author takes great satisfaction in her work, in essence serving as a friend or relative for those without any. Her thoughts on life, dying, and death, and the relationship between them, are thought-provoking, heart-felt and compassionate. She really does care about her "clients" and is wonderful at turning otherwise heart-rending events into something meaningful and significant. She does use a lot of English slang (never in a disrespectful way) and terms and names unfamiliar to most Americans, so you will find yourself consulting a dictionary and/or the Internet quite frequently.

[Mario · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is written from the perspective of a council worker who organises section 46 funerals (what used to be called paupers funerals) for people with no next of kin and/or sufficient resources to pay for their own.

It was nicely written and easy to read and there were a number of insights into the process that I didn’t expect, particularly for wealthy people without next of kin or wills. The human stories behind those who lay undiscovered for long periods were compelling but the big majority were ordinary folk who ended up alone thought age or estrangement.

Much of the work, and therefore the book, ended up being pretty routine. Enjoyable and I’m glad I read it but more sad than gripping.

[Jason Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ashes to Admin
by Evie King

Robert, Jean, Carl, Matthew, even Evie:
False names like tombstones stand for real lives.
The writer and her readers are left grievy,
Along with each who knew them and survives.
For every service Evie finds the story,
For folks estranged, unknown, or underfunded,
Transforming trinkets to memento mori,
Revealing sister’s words or what the son did.
“Pauper’s funeral” sounds so neglectful,
But council funds can stretch to do it right,
Calm ceremonies, celebrants respectful,
Distant mourners tempted to the light.
Tales of death, uncomfortable and creepy,
Are rendered human, satisfying, weepy.

[Sharon Soph · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this autobiographical book written by a Council Funeral officer, responsible for arranging 'Paupers funerals'.

[Lisa San Martín · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating and life-affirming.

[Mitta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautiful book, I spent most of it crying. I wish for Evie everything good in this world.

[Louise Bath · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️¾

I wanted to read this book after hearing Evie King being interviewed on local radio; I thought she seemed like a lot of fun, and she had a very interesting job. I'd never heard of the post of Council Funeral Officer before; but it sounded like a fascinating job, organising Section 46 funerals under the Public Health Act, ie, for people without the family and/or finances to cremate or bury them: although I do wonder how many CFOs perform their task in the way that Evie does.

One thing I soon learned from reading this book is that Section 46 funerals are nothing like the dismal image of a pauper's funeral that I had in my head. If the deceased has left behind documentation relating to their wishes concerning their committal, those wishes will be carried out: if there's no such information, or the deceased's identity is unknown, they will still receive a dignified send-off.

King talks about her early days in the job, and with each case, we see her expertise and knowledge developing and growing. She learns how to become immune to the "smell of death", to maggots in months'-old food and, in the process, realises that she possesses a talent for organising respectful funerals for the dispossessed dead.

King's book is enlightening for readers in respect of what a "Council Funeral" actually entails. One of her cases is that of a man whose family are in receipt of benefits, as was he, and who are devastated by the thought that their loved one will receive only a cheap, perfunctory send-off because even collectively they couldn't afford anything more. In fact, the reassuring truth is that a Section 46 funeral may have fewer frills than other funerals, but it is still every bit as respectful and dignified.

Whilst King has no way of knowing how other CFOs operate, her approach is to contact all the relevant authorities and necessary departments to set the wheels in motion. She ensures that the funeral will be conducted according to the deceased's wishes, if known, or their family's, and then liases with whoever is conducting the service.

When few details are known about the deceased, King then embarks on a search for any existing family, friends, colleagues, documentation, etc who can shed light on the dead person's life and thereby help her to tailor the funeral service to what the deceased would have liked, or what seems the most appropriate and pleasing. Where this becomes impossible is when either the deceased has no apparent family or their identity is unknown. This is where King comes into her own, setting out on a mission to find out whatever she can about them, using all the means at her disposal and some inspired methods of her own. She doesn't always succeed, but it's heartening to see the lengths to which she goes and the effort she puts in.

There's no doubt that King's job can be emotionally tough and also hard on the olfactory system at times, but it's also clear that this is a fascinating and deeply rewarding career requiring a combination of skills, including those of a detective on occasion. A sense of gallows humour is probably also necessary; but on occasion, King is a bit *too* jokey and inappropriate. There are a couple of deeply unsavoury characters for whom funerals are required, but the rest are a joy to read about - such as Edward (aka 'Adam'), Carl, Jean, and Alex; the unknown girl who brought strangers together in an outpouring of love and compassion; and the minister who conducted a funeral dressed as a Jedi, in a chapel decked out like a spaceship.

There's plenty to learn in this gently uplifting book. Some of Evie King's cases will make you cry, others will make you angry, and some will make you smile - or even *laugh*. Above all, there's nothing morbid or depressing about this book - unless you count the behaviour and attitudes of some of the deceaseds' family members.

For further proof of the nature of the book, consider the reviewers chosen and whose comments are printed on the covers and inside the book:
• Stewart Lee: "I laughed and cried. I can't recommend this book enough."
• Richard Herring: "A remarkable book."
• Georgie Vestey: "What happens when we die alone or without money? If we're lucky, CFO Evie King steps in. Evie offers a fascinating and often amusing insight into an aspect of death that is universally feared. A surprisingly uplifting meditation on what death has to teach us about life."
• Diane (Philomena Cunk) Morgan: "A fascinating, poignant, and funny insight into the slightly macabre world of a Council Funeral Officer."
• Joe Wilkinson: "I was hooked from the first moment I started reading."

I'm with Stewart Lee and recommend this book highly.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes you just know that you are going to love a book from the first few sentences and that was absolutely the case with Ashes to Admin.

Unflinching, often humorous, always empathetic. Informative without being dry.

It has made me rethink my own hazy death wishes (no pun intended) and reinvigorated me to properly sit down and document some things like the far distant seeming will/funeral instead of just winging it with my life insurance.

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who’s worked in probate for almost 7yrs, I am absolutely not the intended audience for this book. Having said that, it’s an entertaining and realistic picture of the realities of dealing with a death. Hopefully it will shine a light on the practicalities of death for families and loved ones

[Elspeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another title kindly gifted to me by the publisher.

Knowing absolutely zero about council funerals aside from the negative term 'a paupers funeral' the subject matter of this book caught my eye. Its not often people talk about a good death, planning your funeral or what happens when you cant afford to pay for a loved ones funeral. Evie King goes to great lengths to dispel any negative view points over what a section 46 funeral looks like and she goes even further to give the people handed into her care the kind of funeral we might all wish for.
Written with such obvious love and care for her job and the deceased along with the families who land into her email inbox, this book was a real eye opener as to how much death should very much be a discussion we all have as it is the one thing we will all have in common. It is also testament to how far a stranger will go to show that each life is important and that we should all aim to live well.
Oh, and a plea from King herself, that we should all leave our important documents in an easy to find place along with any requests as it'll make any future house searches by council officers or family so much easier.

[Caitlin Bramwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Why dwell on something that's going to happen anyway, and waste the time you're actually alive worrying about the end?"

A lovely story of Evie King's life and the deaths of several people she provided funerals for. The writing style is blunt and witty, reminding me of Adam Kay's work. I really enjoyed the tone and exploring the world of council funerals, I feel like I learnt a lot about a process I knew little about before and I enjoyed reading along and uncovering who these people were. She never met them in life, but she could tell you so much about them in death.

[Patricia Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read. It's funny in place and sad in places.
It made me think about things like who do I leave my Boots Advantage card and Tesco ClubCard points to etc.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

My latest library read is the non-fiction title Ashes to Admin by Evie King and what a fascinating book it is. The author works for the public health department of a local authority and in between dealing with complaints about bins, licencing, dog poo and noise, one of her responsibilities is to organise funerals for people who have died with no known relatives or whose relatives are unable or unwilling to pay for a funeral.

Like many people, I assumed that a council arranged funeral, often still unhelpfully referred to as a pauper’s funeral, would be dignified but quite spartan. I thought that only people who had died completely alone, probably destitute and with no friends or family were likely to have one of these funerals. I now know better. Although it may be the case for some councils that a very basic no-frills funeral is arranged, many council workers like Evie King take their responsibilities very seriously and want to make sure that everyone has an decent send-off. It was so interesting to read about the process of trying to find out more about a deceased person referred for a council funeral. As the author puts it, she becomes a cross between a private detective and a cleaning lady.

The book is divided into chapters each focussing on a different person who Evie King has had involvement with. She doesn’t call them her cases but her people, seeing it as a privilege to be a part of their life, or their death really, even for a brief while. All the people have slightly different circumstances showing the range of why council provided funerals might come about. There are people who live in lonely squalor but have a small fortune in the bank, people who have no relatives but on investigation have touched the lives of many in their community, people who do have relatives but those relatives just cannot afford the cost of a funeral adding guilt to their grief, people who are estranged from their family and there’s the sad case which begins and ends the book of an unidentified woman.

This is a very touching book and I found myself moved quite often. I find it really reassuring to know that there are people like Evie King who will do their utmost to find out about the deceased and make sure they have a funeral which is as personal as it can be. She really did go above and beyond what was required in her job, often carrying out further enquiries in her own time. I think this quotation from near the end of the book sums up how dedicated to her job she is. “The second I draw a line between myself and the job, I deem my people to be a task and place them and their family on a par with a website update or licence variation. If you are going to do a job so tied up in life, you have to let it into your own and draw on that. The love you have for your own friends and family, what you would want for them, projecting that back onto your actions in each case.”

It is comforting to think that nobody has nobody, there is always someone with a personal connection, however fragile. For a book so wholly concerned with death and funerals, this is an uplifting and life-affirming read. Evie King writes with an engaging style, often injects her writing with humour and yet is always, always respectful of the dead. Ashes to Admin is an enlightening and compassionate book, touching and full of life and hope.

As an aside, if you are interested in reading fiction which features characters dealing with the aftermath of those die with no relatives I highly recommend Mary Paulson-Ellis’s novels The Other Mrs Walker, The Inheritance of Solomon Farthing and Emily Noble’s Disgrace. The first book in particular covers similar ground to that covered in Ashes to Admin.

[James R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've come across more than my fair share of faceless bureaucrats who have gone about their job with complete disdain for the people they are meant to help lately. These experiences made it all the more touching to read this book about a local government officer who makes funeral arrangements for people that die without either the money or the loved ones to have it dealt with privately. The author's kindness and the way she goes above and beyond the remit of job makes this book a life affirming read and I thoroughly enjoyed hearing about how she would investigate the lives of her clients to ensure they were given the best possible send off and to give them dignity in death, when just following her job description would typically mean something much less than that. I read this book during a period in my personal life where I'd had a number of bruising encounters with similar sorts of administrative officers and reading this book restored my faith in humanity a good bit and cheered me right up. Highly recommended and despite the macabre sounding premise, it's one of the most optimistic and cheering books you could read.

[Ben Jeapes · Rating 4 out of 5]

On one level, this is an entertaining collection of anecdotes by a council worker in charge of Section 46 funerals: otherwise wrongly labelled as "Pauper's funerals", those held under the relevant clause of local council law that guarantees everyone a decent council-funded funeral if there is absolutely no one else willing or able to pay for it. But it also goes deeper than that. Rather than just being a series of workplace anecdotes, it tells a story. The author left a high paying job in the city, one step ahead of burnout, and deliberately sought a local council job that she was way over qualified for. Handling complaints about dog poo, granting taxi licences, etc. She fell into the funerals by accident, but found she was good at it and enjoyed the work, giving people a value in death that they had sometimes been denied in life. As she goes above and beyond her expected duty her so-called "pauper's funerals" soon become indistinguishable from any other kind. As her work in that area progresses she also finds healing off her own. So, not just entertaining but insightful, informative and moving too.

[Veronica Mollitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this initially made me realise how much of my own experiences with loss and grief had been internalised and no where near resolved. The process of winding up someone's life can be such a harrowing job but yet King shows that there is privilege in being there for those honours, achievements and stories.

The stories of those whose final journey landed at the councils door have meant something to me each and every one. That is the one last gift King is giving them, she is sharing their tales with a wider audience, their lives being revisited once more.

Death here isn't a final call, it's a call to arms - no matter their circumstances- to have a send of fair for everyone who has stomped these mortal plains.

Thank you!

[Polly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am someone who is terrified by death. Just mentioning anything about it makes me feel icky. If I have to be walking around hospitals i feel panicked and dizzy. I choose to pretend it's not going to happen to me and shut down any thoughts about it. This book was beautiful and so fascinating and got me comfortably thinking about death and even starting to make decisions around what will happen to me when I'm gone. I'm an administrator in a council so I could really empathise to the wackyness of the expectations of the job. Really beautiful stories about not just caseloads but people with interests and hobbies who have lived full lives. Beautiful, best thing I have picked up and read in years.

[Snoakes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evie King is a council worker. As part of the environmental health team, she regularly answers calls about bins and dog mess. But the main part of her job is dealing with the funerals, burials and cremations of those with either no surviving family or friends to do it for them, or no funds to pay for it. Referrals come from a variety of sources, such as the police or care homes. The work involves the death admin most of us never think about - closing bank accounts, dealing with utility bills, emptying and cleaning out fridges and freezers.

Having worked in local government for over thirty years, I know that the majority of council workers go above and beyond on a daily basis, against a background of low pay, political austerity and ever-tightening budgets. But Evie King is next-level in the efforts that she goes to in order to give her people a good send off. Every case that lands on her desk is a person who had a life. They may have loved and been loved in turn. They may have become estranged from their relatives, or lost a partner and never moved on from their grief. Whoever they are, Evie will treat them with dignity and respect, tracking down friends and family, even fellow hobbyists to make each funeral a unique and personal occasion.

It's a fascinating account of a job that isn't for just anyone, but that Evie King has made her own. Full of warmth and wit, Ashes to Admin is far from morbid. If you only read one book about death, make it this one.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read from a different perspective here of a Council Funeral Officer.

I've read stories from Undertakers and similar before, but this was a different perspective. Evie's job as a council funeral officer is one which is a difficult job to have. She is the one who goes to the homes of deceased, often without family, to find out who they were in life, deal with the estate and all the jobs that have to happen after a person died.

This was a fascinating read, I liked how she did chapters for each deceased person, and it opened my eyes to the role she has. A very interesting read, even some humour in it too which was surprising.

Very good read.

[James Grimditch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sort of reminded me of this is going to hurt, in that it’s a tell-all diary of an occupation that in unrelentingly hectic and fascinating when observed up close. I love how each story gives a different lesson about life. I love how funny the author is. I love how she isn’t overt with her quite apparent political opinions, rather focuses on work and shows the banality of the system, and why all the common tropes about useless councils are ludicrous. Did feel it went on a bit too long, but hope she writes more

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book about arranging funerals for those with no one to do it for them doesn’t sound like a recipe for a good read but this is well written and managing to take the subject of grief seriously whilst being uplifting and at times humorous.

Pains are taken to respect the anonymity of the subjects so it is sensitively presented.

I think everyone should read this. I’m going to start pulling my ring binder together to make it easier for my loved ones when I’m gone (obviously hoping that the day is some way off yet.)

[David Sloan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been going through a phase of reading books that I normally wouldn't read and lately, that has been counter productive to my happiness and well being 🙄

Therefore, it was with little expectations I started reading this.

It is a wonderful book. Well written, full of compassion, humour, sadness and a reafirmirming of the kindness of some individuals. Namely, Miss Evie King. This lady not only is a fantastic writer, but the lengths she goes to, to help people is incredible.
If the world had a few more Evie's, it would be a far better place.