Understanding
Funeral Costs

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Funeral Costs

The total cost of the funeral is affected by the type of arrangements you choose, and the choices that you make to personalise the funeral.

On this page we explain the four elements which make up the total cost of the funeral, that you will see on the funeral account.

The Elements That Make up the Total Funeral Cost

Our Professional Services

These are our fees to arrange the funeral on your behalf, to transport and care for your loved one, and attend and conduct the funeral.

The Coffin

This is the cost of the coffin you choose for your loved one.

Essential Third Party Fees

These are the costs we pay on your behalf to third parties for essential services such as crematorium, cemetery or church yard fees as well as fees for a minister or celebrant

Fees to Personalise the Funeral

These are for costs for items such as limousines, funeral flowers, alternative hearses, musicians, photo slideshows, photographers, dove releases etc. which vary based on the options you choose.

Your Funeral Cost Estimate

When we meet with you and discuss your personal requirements, we have price lists available and will provide you with an itemised estimate. We will explain each cost before we start making any arrangements on your behalf.

Sometimes, if there are aspects of the funeral you are unsure of at our initial meeting, we will give you a verbal estimate initially, and then provide a written estimate once you have confirmed your wishes.

Our fees are transparent and the costs we publish are the costs we charge. There is no VAT on funeral charges.

Standardised Price Lists

All funeral directors now have a legal requirement to publish their price of two funeral packages in the same format so you can compare the costs of the same level of service provided by different businesses.

These packages are an Attended Funeral Package and an Unattended Funeral Package.

You can see these in our Standardised Price List and Additional Service Price List which can be found within our Lower Cost Options Brochure.

Paying Funeral Costs

Read more about the steps we go through to provide you with complete transparency of the funeral costs, together details of when we required payments need to be made.

Decide on the Funeral Arrangements

Firstly, we help you to decide on the funeral arrangements. We have price lists available and we explain all the costs so you can make the right decisions for you and your budget.

Our Cost Estimate

When we arrange the funeral with you, we’ll issue you with a full written estimate itemising our costs, and the third-party costs we’ll be paying on your behalf such as the crematorium or burial fees.

The person who signs our estimate and agrees to become our client is the person who is taking responsibility for payment of the funeral costs.

Payment of Costs in Advance

In most cases, we will request payment of the third-party fees prior to the funeral. This enables us to secure the services of the venue and other third parties on your behalf.

For our Direct Cremation and Early Morning Cremation Services, we require payment in full in advance before we book the date of the cremation

Using Funds from the Deceased Bank Account

If the deceased has funds in their bank or building society account, it is possible to access this from the bank or building society to pay for the funeral.

You will need to provide them with a certified copy of the death certificate and the funeral account.

We can produce this prior to the funeral once we know your wishes if you prefer to settle the full estimated costs from the deceased’s bank rather than pay the initial third party fees payment yourself.

Paying the Outstanding Balance

For all outstanding balances, we’ll then issue an invoice after the funeral and payment is due within 7 days by cash, cheque, debit or credit card or bank transfer.

For some types of funeral, including direct cremations, payment in full is due prior to the day of the funeral.

Our terms of business are listed in more detail in our Standardised Price List.

Getting Help with Funeral Costs

Funeral Expenses Payment

In some circumstances it may be possible to get help with paying for some of the funeral costs from the Government if the person paying for the funeral, plus anyone else who shares the same relationship with the deceased as they do, gets certain benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit.

With the Funeral Expenses Payment, any payment made will take into account any money available to pay for the funeral – e.g. in the deceased’s bank account, and will only be a contribution to the funeral.

The remaining costs must be paid in advance of the funeral by the person who has organised it.

Find Out More

Funeral Credit

If funds are not immediately available, you or another member of the family can apply to Funeralsafe to cover all or part of the costs.

Funeralsafe offer unsecured loans from £500 to £10,000 with repayments over 12 months to 5 years. Funeralsafe are authorised and regulated by the FCA.

The applicant for funeral credit does not have to be our client. Link to Funeralsafe. And you can check your eligibility without your credit score being effected.