The cut-price goodbye
FIVE-MINUTE GUIDE TO... DIRECT CREMATION FUNERALS
FUNERALS are sad occasions but they are also expensive ones, with the average bill climbing to an incredible £4,271 last year.
The total cost of dying rises to an all-time high of £9,204 once you include extras such as professional fees and the send-off, according to Sunlife’s Cost of Dying Report.
However, an increasingly popular option called a direct cremation can simplify the whole process, and save you thousands of pounds.when the time comes, are you ready to take the direct route?
NO CEREMONY
A direct cremation takes care of the body but dispenses with the ceremony, which means no procession, no hearse, no limousines, and no service at the crematorium either.
There is no embalming or final viewing of the deceased, who will have a simple coffin and gown.they will be collected from their place of rest, cared for in a mortuary and taken directly to the crematorium.
This dramatically cuts the cost, for example, Simplicity Cremations charges just £995 throughout mainland Britain, with a possible £250 on top if the body is resting other than in a hospital or coroner’s office.trust Cremations charges £1,175 with non-urgent collection, or a prepaid option for £1,475 with additional features.your local funeral director may offer its own package.
Fees vary so, as with every other product, compare prices and shop around. Sunlife’s report said the average direct cremation cost £1,712 last year.this was down from 2017, when it was £1,835.
The fee should cover all costs including doctor’s fees for medical certificates, cremation fees, collection, a simple coffin and transport to the crematorium.
Simon Cox, head of insight and external affairs at Simplicity Cremations, said a direct cremation means cutting back on ceremony, not quality: “The deceased will receive the same level of care and you can ask for the ashes to be returned, while some offer a bereavement counselling service.”
You can make almost all of the arrangements over the phone, meeting only to sign the necessary paperwork: “You do not have to spend hours face-to-face with a funeral director,” he said.
SIMPLY SERVICE
While there is no service at the crematorium, families are free to celebrate their loved one’s life in any way they wish, and at a time and place of their choosing.
The cremation itself usually happens within a couple of weeks, with no service or mourners, and you will be informed afterwards.
Although many choose a direct cremation to save money, others do not want a fuss, or see no point in hearses, limousines and floral tributes.there is no religious aspect to a direct cremation.
Dr Kate Woodthorpe, a member of the Centre for Death and Society at the University of Bath, said although direct cremations make up just 3 per cent of funerals interest is growing.
“I could see a day when the majority of cremations are direct, with commemorative activities taking place with the ashes at a later date,” she said.
This funeral option will not be for everybody, but it is good to know that even in death, you still have a choice.