Funeral Expenses

[BearRabbitPants]

I was just wondering if anyone had any experience regarding funeral expenses? What kind of funeral could be afforded with £1,500? The reason I ask is because my DF has advanced Alzheimer's disease 😢, we believe progressing to the latter stages of the illness now (trouble swallowing, next to zero mobility or motor functions- basically bound to a wheelchair or bed in 24hr care in a rest home) My DM has no money, no savings, nothing- only a small funeral bond in place which will pay out £1,500 (because it was only put in action a few years ago)... DM has stated she'll have to just have him cremated straight from the mortuary and then scatter his ashes privately because of finances. So no funeral, no wake, literally no celebration of his life whatsoever 💔😭. - this is not her 'choice' btw... I was just wondering how much does a very simple funeral service, cremation & wake cost? And how can costs be kept to a minimum?

I know my Dad isn't 'gone' yet but it's something that is inevitable & we need to start thinking seriously about what will happen when he dies... just need some advice really... thank you

Its a pretty pricey thing, to be honest, but I think you could probably do the direct cremation, and then hold your own 'memorial do' either by hiring a hall, or in your home afterwards.

We had my father in laws funeral last week, had the most basic of everything. The bill is £3,427

This might help you, BestRabbit, and there are others if you google, 'simple funeral'.

The government pays out a grant when someone dies, it's not a lot but it's something.

There are also circumstances in which the local council pays for a funeral and it's quite good.

You can have a simple do at home to commemorate the deceased person's life or at a local pub if you can afford it.

I think the cheapest funeral will still be around 3-4 thousand. Direct cremation is more affordable and you can still have a get together afterwards and share stories etc. Perhaps have some photos of him made up and take along something to remind you of him and that you can talk about. A nice afternoon tea in a hotel would be a good venue and make it more of an occasion.

Are they in the UK. You can arrange a simple funeral and a direct funeral, you can Google both. If mum is on certain benefits I think you can get a bereavement grant, look it up on the Gov.UK site. It would be nice to have a get together afterwards, can family help out . You could either make some food yourselves or buy sandwiches, caterers are expensive. Funeral flowers are expensive so many people buy bouquets from supermarkets and you could print off service cards at home. Sorry to hear about your dad.

There are some figures here. I think a direct cremation and a celebration of life elsewhere is probably the cheapest option for you, as OldAndWornOut says.

Your DM will be enitled to the Breavement Support payment of £1500 that can be used towards funeral costs.

My DH funeral was over £3000. This was just for a basic cremation

I'm sorry for your situation.

We held a basic one for dmil and it cost around 3.5k not including headstone. There was a spray of flowers on top of the coffin. The Hurst and an additional car.

Dmil was on benefits with no savings but as my partner and his sister worked and were classed as next of kin they were not eligible for any help towards the cost.

Op. Check out good funeral guide!
They have reasonable checked out funeral directors.
On limited budget 3500 depending where you are.
However, direct cremation is a viable option. David Bowie had one! Body shop founder had one.
In some ways it spares that awful pain. It's becoming more accepted, don't forget like everything else death is a business.

You could in some schemes go to the crematorium, have very small service, cut back on all the extras, eg the person who leads it all.

1 check out good funeral guide, is there small undertaker who understands your needs and cost constraints. Cut everything back, coffin, no service leader, do own flowers....

1. Read up about direct cremation, it's a big movement out there.

For all sorts of reasons and not just costs! Then do a memoriam party after.

1. I think its awful keeping people alive like this. I had to watch my own df with slow death, clearly no chance of coming back and I think we need legislation to let people die humanly.

1. Hand hold op.

As a vicar in church in Wales I am paid about £80 for a funeral, but it might be more in England.( There would be further costs to hold ceremony in the church although my fee is the same, but to cover hire of building, organist etc). I think I have seen a humanist celebrant tends to charge about 200 but could be wrong.
Can save money by not having orders of service printed, not paying an organist, not having funeral directors drive you all to the crematorium, no refreshments afterwards.

BTW no rush over additional grave stone expense.
You can keep him at home until you can afford that so leave that expense out.

I got a really lovely one for about 1050

BTW we didn't have a celebrant, we had our music on cd, did our own speeches. Readings. Didn't need anyone to lead or introduce us. Paid for flowers.

I actually preferred it to many larger funerals with all the jazz rather like weddings!

Check out dwp

I went to a funeral the other day.
They'd hired a local hall for the wake, and made their own cakes and sandwiches etc. It was absolutely fine.

My wife whose mother died in 2013 shopped around for an undertaker as you would any other product and for a similar packages found a difference of about £4K.

Sorry to hear about your father, OP.

The church of England publishes a list of charges. It's £195 for a funeral service. Burial of body or ashes costs extra. Organist etc would also cost more if you wanted one. In the Methodist church, they do not charge for funeral services for regular worshippers.

Cost of cremation (and any service held) depends on the individual crematorium, so check your local options.

Other costs depend on choices made. I once went to a funeral where the deceased was in a cardboard coffin. It was chosen for environmental reasons, but I imagine it was very cheap. Similarly, grave stones differ hugely in style and price, and if you scatter the ashes, you presumably won't have a grave stone. Flowers can be simple - and could come from your own garden, or Tesco. We printed orders of service at home for a recent funeral.

The wake doesn't need to cost much. I've been to a number where it is home made sandwiches and cakes at the person's house and would have cost well under £100.

A direct cremation costs about £1,900. That is what your DM is talking about, where the person is taken to the crematorium and there is nothing but the cremation. You could do that and then have a simple wake later for the family / friends, and scatter the ashes when you want to .

Thank you every one for your replies. I will Google the various options suggested in this thread. Ideally DM and would have liked a basic cremation, with a small service, and a small wake in a local hall - we could cater. I'd looked at cardboard coffins & with it being a cremation anyway that would make sense.
I think DH and I inevitably will be paying for a lot of the cost.. so we will have to start thinking about putting money aside to cover this when the time comes.