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Parochial Fees

Parochial fees are fees set by the General Synod and Parliament for certain occasional offices conducted by the Church. The fees are listed on a Fees Table for each year. Parochial fees are legally payable and split between the DBF and the PCC. If there are no ‘extras’, the parochial fee for the relevant service is the fee that should be charged. A portion of each fee belongs to the DBF and serves as a means by which the diocese can pay adequate stipends and pensions to clergy. It makes a significant contribution to keeping Parish Share request levels down. No Church of England minister should be retaining any fees.

Parochial fees are statutory fees. The amounts detailed on the Table of Parochial Fees are set by the Archbishops’ Council and are payable when the service takes place. Fees are likely to increase on the 1 January each year and this must be explained to a couple or a family making a booking in the church. You cannot agree to hold the statutory fees at the current level. Travel expenses, postage expenses or any other expenses should not be deducted from the amount detailed on the table.

Further information on parochial fees can be found in the Bishops' Guidelines, which are available as a download at the bottom of this page.

Please note:

No fee is payable in respect of a funeral or burial of a stillborn infant or for the funeral or burial of a person dying within eighteen years of birth.
Funeral directors have been instructed to make payments to the Parish Church Council (PCC)/benefice where the funeral took place. Once the fee has been received by the PCC/benefice, it should then be apportioned accordingly between the PCC and the DBF (and retired minister if applicable). Fees for services at the crematorium will also be handled through the PCC/benefice.
Fees for weddings and monuments are also to be apportioned through the PCC/benefice. Banns and certificate fees are to remain with the PCC.
There is an element for the PCC to retain for services at the crematorium.

Bishops' Staff has agreed:

to continue the current apportionment to retired ministers of two thirds. There are some rounding issues; please see the Quick Reference Guide to the Table of Parochial Fees for the correct apportionments.
that the casual duty fee for a visiting minister (with PTO) is £40.00 per service in 2025. Please see the Bishops’ Guidelines for further information about visiting ministers.

A Vacancy Claim Form, for payment to clergy/Readers for assistance and/or travelling expenses during a vacancy, is available to download below.

Fees should be handled through a PCC or benefice bank account. Treasurers who handle fees on behalf of the clergy are asked to ensure that fees are remitted promptly.

Parochial fees background from the Church of England

The framework for setting parochial fees for 2025 and 2026 is set out in The Parochial Fees Order 2024. It provided that fees would increase annually in line with Consumer Prices Index (CPI), capped at 5%, rounded up to the nearest pound.