AIBU to wonder who organises your funeral if you have no close relatives or friends?

[Hippopotas]

Does anyone know? Also if you have specific wishes would they then be followed?

I’m just curious as I was pondering this the other day.

My (very much alive) ExFIL paid for his funeral and burial plot next to his own father some years ago, as he doesn't want the cost and the stress to fall to his sons. It's definitely something I'd do, if I had the disposable income to pay for it.

My dad died last August and although he was incredibly switched on with regards to money/protection plans etc when he was well, I was stunned that he'd made no provisions for his funeral. Fortunately he and my mum had good pensions and healthy savings that covered it, unfortunately huge chunks of the savings were eaten up by the tearjerking care home costs.

It really worries me that I'm currently unable to set aside any money for when the time comes!

OP, are you OK? Was this just a theoretical post, or are you feeling friendless and potentially suicidal?
If the latter, please contact your GP and the Samaritans and get help. It’s never too late to turn your life around, treat any depression and make some friendships. Sending you a supportive hug if required, and my apologies if I have misinterpreted.

@Blossomtoes Yes - a big - backstory.
She told ME that she'd saved over £4K for her funeral.
To be fair, just before she died she told me she 'might go for a cremation as cheaper'. She was in tears, worrying whether God would be okay with that (she had been very religious, then 'Lost' it, but it was clearly on her mind, worrying whether God would 'accept her' if she was cremated. I told her that God wouldnt mind at all but that she must do what SHE wanted'.
Then Brother told me that they'd gone for an unattended Cremation. Less than 1K. Ashes posted back. It's possible that she was ok with that but he has behaved appallingly about other matters to do with her end so I suspect he simply wanted to keep the money.

@WhenDovesFly Yes. I looked it up. There are actually quite a few reasons that a body may not be acceptable, from cause of death, BMI, date of death etc.
It's not to be relied upon.

also it's worth considering the people left behind (although I appreciate this is NOT the OP's question, sorry...). Personally, though the wishes of the deceased are obviously paramount, & a full victorian style coach & plumed horses type thing is unnecessary, it can make it harder for the bereaved to have NO 'passing' type thing, not even a get together for a cup of tea (in both cases, incredibly)
I actually discussed it with my Teens (sounds morbid, but we were talking about Granny etc. I said that I could see the sense in a cheap crem & any 'spare money' being used for a nice day out / short minibreak etc. They both said they'd like to have a grave to visit (it must have been a Good Day on the Teen Front, some days I think they'd happily put me out in the rubbish, lol - apols for any offence)

@Hippopotas Sorry, I've just read
@Babdoc post above. Not only did I stray from your OP Qu, I have possibly wittered on insensitively. Sorry. I do hope you are ok.

Why has a burial plot tripled in value?

That's my experience. An elderly neighbour died when I was little, my mum was the person who noticed her milk hadn't been taken in and on the second morning called police for a welfare check as she wasn't answering her door. We organised funeral, very simple memorial service but the council paid for it. If there had been no-one asking questions or attending apparently they have a certain quiet dignity but no music or readings or anything. Undertakers said that was one of the saddest parts of their job.

I’ve had a recent family bereavement which has just made me question things like this and what would happen when my time came if I had no one.

I am not suicidal but thank you for the concern. I’m just contemplating things in life I never really thought about before.

@Hippopotas

As has been said, the council deal with funerals when someone dies and they have no family.

I sometimes think about this as I don't have any DC and if I out live my DH then I will need to put in place a prepaid funeral plan.

My great aunt (for long and complicated reasons) didn't want to bother anyone when she died so prepaid her funeral (and funeral prepayments are now under the Financial Services Authority, so protected) and left instructions with the funeral directors, named her solicitors as NOK at the hospital. There was a direct cremation and the solicitors scattered her ashes where her dhs were.

Phew, thanks for updating, OP, I was worried about you. And I hope your funeral is a) not for many decades and b) crowded with wellwishers!

They look to see if distant relatives will shoulder the cost.

Then, they (the council bereavement services) will look to see if the deceased has any assets to cover the cost, so house, car, savings etc.

Then if there is nothing, it will be a public health funeral, so basic cremation or burial paid for by the council.

Sorry for your loss, OP.

It's the council

Be careful which company you choose though. There is indeed a risk of some going bust and they have, listen to You and Yours on BBC Sounds Radio 4 in the archive to find out which ones.

And on the subject of 'Which' magazine that is always a good place to check what is reliable.

You can also get no ceremony funerals these days. Meaning your they take the person who has died and do that bit, and you can organise a gathering large or small on your own.

You will find once you get a quote for funerals through the post you will get loads of letters around it, which is kind of useful as you can see which company is okay and suits you best.

Wonder if Martin Lewis has got anything?

What you pay is insured, whether it’s a lump sum or a payment plan.
Ive done Pure Cremation, £1500 up front, no service, no fuss, no worries for DDs trying to track down friends of mine they don’t know.

When I was young I had a temp job with the county paper and they gave me the task of writing an advert for the council funeral service. I asked what the selling point were. They said "it's cheap." That was awkward.

Yes that was mentioned on You and Yours I forgot.

Everyone should organize their own funeral while they are still alive. And hopefully pre pay

Maybe if you are on your own with no relatives you'd rather spend the money on yourself while you are alive, I know I would. Once you're dead it doesn't actually matter what happens to you because you won't know, you're dead.

My mum has prepaid her funeral and bought a burial plot. The only thing she hasn't paid for is catering.
All her wishes are listed in the plan which the funeral director has and we know where her copy is.
It's a huge source of comfort to her and us.

You can pre-buy a funeral plan and leave all details with the undertaker.
You can instruct your solicitor/the executor of your will. Leave their details in a file marked WILL AND FUNERAL.

I 've been to several funerals organised entirely by the dead person, ahead of time.

If you have no money, no friends and leave no instructions, the council will arrange a basic disposal.

When I worked at a law firm we had this happen quite a few times to elderly people in care. We were involved as power of attorney for those cases. The council paid the funeral cost but it was the bare minimum. Sometimes the solicitor who had had power of attorney before they died went to the funeral out of respect but nobody else showed up. In one case the client was an army veteran and the solicitor contacted the local British Legion who organised a full guard of honour. In a few cases where they had a known religion volunteers from the church or temple organising the funeral would go.

@chiffchaffchiff
Ah, that Full Guard of Honour made me tear up a bit. How wonderful.
I think volunteers from the deceased's religion if they had one is lovely too.