Frequently Asked Questions

Direct cremations are a dignified and simple way to say farewell without the pressures and costs of a traditional funeral. They involve cremating the body without a ceremony or mourners present and provide you and your family with the flexibility to commemorate your loved one's life in your own time and manner.

This allows for a personal and meaningful celebration or wake at a place and time of your choosing. Cost-effective and straightforward, direct cremations offer a less stressful alternative, enabling you to honour the deceased in a way that feels right for you, surrounded by comfort and support.

Different funeral types have different environmental considerations.

Due to the use of the cremator which heats to very high temperatures, cremation tends to have higher energy consumption and emissions. Efficient cremation initiatives can mitigate some of these environmental impacts. At our crematoriums, we invest in both energy-saving and abatement technologies.

Traditionally, burials include embalming and the preservation chemicals used in this process can contribute to land contamination. However, eco-friendly alternatives, such as woodland burials are available.

Ultimately, the eco-friendliness of the funeral depends on your choice of provider and their environmental practices.

If you have purchased a cremation plan with a single payment or over a period of up to 12 months, you can cancel your cremation 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 cremation 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 cremation service will take place Monday to Friday during working hours.

When the time comes, our compassionate team will liaise between the person arranging the funeral and the chosen crematorium to find a suitable date and time.

When someone passes away in a hospital, staff will verify their identity and seek permission for any necessary post-mortem examination. The body is then temporarily placed in the hospital's mortuary until arrangements are made with a funeral director. The deceased's belongings are kept safe by the hospital until collected by the estate administrator for distribution to beneficiaries.

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.

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.

A direct cremation funeral plan lets you choose and pay for an unattended funeral ahead of time. Planning your own funeral protects your family from funeral costs and ensures your wishes are known for the type of funeral you'd like. If you know you'll be the one making funeral arrangements for someone else in future, you can take out a funeral plan for them for peace of mind.

When the time comes we'll carry out every part of the process and deliver the ashes to your family at no extra cost. Our funeral plans include cremation, fees, collection, care, return of the ashes and much more. For full details of what is and is not covered with our different funeral plan options, please read our price list and terms & conditions.