Funeral plans - Your Questions Answered

Many people struggle to afford a funeral because of the rising funeral costs. If you’re arranging the funeral of a loved one and you think you can’t afford it, check if you’re eligible for Government assistance via a Funeral Expenses Payment in England & Wales or check your eligibility and apply for a Funeral Support Payment in Scotland.

Yes, a direct cremation funeral plan lets you pay for an unattended direct cremation in advance. With our Direct Cremation Plan you have the option to pay upfront or in instalments over 1, 5, or 10 years. Your money is kept secure in a trust or if you are paying over 5 or 10 years it is protected by Scottish Friendly who are an authorised and regulated insurance provider.

Absolutely. While fuss-free funerals focus on the cremation process, you have the freedom to organise a separate, **personalised memorial service at any time, allowing you to celebrate your loved one's life in a way that's meaningful to you.

Our funeral plans guarantee your acceptance, with no medical questions or additional costs for the elderly or those with pre-existing medical conditions. However, for funeral plans payable over 5 or 10 years we incur additional administration expenses for collecting the monthly instalments and for the purchase and administration of a “whole of life” policy from Scottish Friendly - an authorised and regulated insurance provider.

A direct cremation is the most straightforward and simple way to say goodbye. If you're looking for a fuss, worry and tradition-free funeral, with little stress and low expense, then a direct cremation may be the perfect solution for you.

Get in touch with us for personalised guidance on how a direct cremation could be the right choice for your needs. Call us on 01543 211997 today.

Yes, it is possible to plan your own funeral and doing so has a number of benefits. With our funeral plans, you can pay for your funeral in advance to relieve your family of the financial burden when the time comes. Funeral planning ahead of time also gives you and your family peace of mind about what will happen and leaves no uncertainty about your wishes. Once your funeral plan is set up the price is set so you are protected from any future rises in funeral costs.

When a loved one passes away, the people left behind are often heartbroken, exhausted and overwhelmed. At the same time, they are required to make a lot of decisions in a short space of time. When those decisions relate to a traditional funeral, they can often become very expensive quickly, especially when led by emotion.

By planning in advance, you can specify what kind of funeral you want and make many of those decisions for them. Family will know they are carrying out your wishes, and much of the financial costs will already be taken care of.

For many people, knowing that everything is organised and paid for brings peace of mind. You’ll know that you have done what you can for the people you care about – supporting them both financially and emotionally after you’ve gone. Planning your funeral in advance is a caring thing to do for them.

When you buy a plan with Distinct Cremations, the services you pay for are guaranteed to be delivered with nothing more to pay. That means that if costs rise in the future, your family won’t have to pay more.

Absolutely. Taking out a new funeral plan with Distinct Cremations is completely safe. Distinct Cremations, and our parent Westerleigh, are one of the largest funeral and cremation service providers in the UK. We have been established for 30 years and each year we help around 76,000 families.

There will be no changes to your plan and you have nothing to worry about - your funeral plan with Distinct Cremations is completely safe.

You can choose a nominated representative when taking out a funeral plan. This person will put your wishes in motion when the cremation is required. This could be a family member, friend or someone else.

You can also include your plan's information in your will, however, the will is not typically read until after the funeral.

Yes, single payments and instalments up to 12 months are held in a secure Trust which is managed by independent trustees. For 5 & 10 year instalment plans we purchase a “whole of life” policy from Scottish Friendly - an authorised and regulated insurance provider. The proceeds of that policy will be used to pay for your chosen cremation at the time of need.

The FSCS is an independent service set up by the UK government to protect consumers when a financial firm fails. For example, if Distinct Cremations were to go out of business, the FSCS will protect every person who has taken out a plan with Distinct Cremations and provide them with a choice of a replacement funeral plan from a regulated provider or cash compensation.

You can find more information on the FSCS's website.

You’ll typically receive your documents within five working days of taking out the plan.

When you die, your family should first notify your local registry office so they’re aware that a death has happened.

We suggest you tell a loved one that you have a plan in place, so that they know who to call when needed. Some people choose to add the details to their will, but a will is often not read until after the funeral has taken place.

Put the paperwork in a safe place with your other important documents. There’s nothing more to do.

When the time comes, your nominated representative will contact us. Your personal funeral arranger will help them with all the details, including the legally required paperwork and arrangements.

As part of the Westerleigh family, we have 42 crematoriums across mainland GB. If you do move home, just let us know. If you have chosen a funeral service, you can select a crematorium closer to your new location.