Frequently Asked Questions

If you have purchased a funeral plan with a single payment or over a period of up to 12 months, you can cancel your funeral plan within the first 30 days and receive all your money back. If you cancel after 30 days you will get most of your money back, minus a £275 cancellation fee.

If you have purchased a funeral plan over 5 or 10 years and cancel your plan within 12 months, you will get a full refund of all payments paid. If you cancel after 12 months (the moratorium period), your instalments will stop and you will not be entitled to any refund of the money you have already paid. You can read more on our T&Cs page.

The average cost of a direct cremation in the UK is £1,628 which is on average £2,882 cheaper than a traditional funeral with a service.* Direct cremation is the cheapest funeral option. At Distinct Cremations, a direct cremation costs £1,350.

* Saving of £2,882 is based on the cost of a traditional funeral at £4,510 vs direct cremation funeral at £1,628 (SunLife Cost of Dying Report 2026, sunlife.co.uk/funeral-costs

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

A direct cremation is a simple unattended cremation. Having a cremation without a funeral service reduces the costs and stress associated with arranging a traditional funeral.

Direct cremation allows for a separation between the cremation and how you choose to say goodbye to your loved one.

To simplify arrangements, all of the aspects of the direct cremation can be left to us. Get in touch to arrange a direct cremation with Distinct Cremations.

The choice is entirely yours. It's not uncommon for people to divide the ashes of the deceased between their loved ones, so that everyone can have a reminder of them.

There are many benefits to choosing a direct cremation. Direct cremations offer a respectful, uncomplicated cremation with no attendees present.

These are a few of the key benefits:

• Families have flexibility over the farewell process so a loved one's life can be remembered in a personal and unique way.
• Direct cremations are a cost-effective alternative to traditional funerals, allowing families to invest more in the farewell event with the money saved or prioritise their finances elsewhere.
• Families of faith can hold a separate spiritual service instead of a traditional funeral.
• A celebration of life event can be postponed until a later date when everyone involved is emotionally ready.
• Busy and geographically scattered families have additional time to coordinate a gathering.

78% of Westerleigh Group’s crematoriums have mercury abatement technology installed which reduces air pollution. 27% of crematoriums have both mercury abatement technology and nitrogen oxide (NOx) filtration. These crematoriums are:

• Babworth Crematorium
• Mercia Forest Crematorium
• New Forest Crematorium
• North Wiltshire Crematorium
• Sirhowy Valley Crematorium
• Stirlingshire Crematorium
• The Vale Crematorium
• Waseley Hills Cemetery & Crematorium
• Arun Crematorium
• Herne Bay Crematorium
• Bishopsbriggs Crematorium

Installing nitrogen oxide (NOx) filtration and mercury abatement is a programme Westerleigh Group intends to continue and accelerate over the coming years. By 2032, all crematoriums in our network will have the same environmental credentials as those listed here. Keep checking back as we add more crematoriums to the list.

It typically takes between one and two weeks for the funeral to take place, although this time can increase if there are outstanding factors such as the need for an inquest. Funerals may also be delayed if there's limited availability at the crematorium.