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How much does a funeral cost?

The cost of a funeral can cause additional stress at what is already a difficult time. If you’re worried about cost, we’re here to guide you through the different options and suggest any financial support you might be eligible for.

 

In this guide

Key considerations

  • Dealing with grief and managing the costs and arrangements of a funeral is never easy. Enlisting the help of a family member or close friend can take a lot of the pressure off when planning the funeral and budgeting.

  • As a first step, it’s important to know your budget first before deciding on the details of a funeral. Make sure that the funeral you choose is one you can afford, arranging a funeral can be a stressful time, adding financial issues to this can cause more distress. 

  • Many of the things that make funerals a unique and fitting tribute do not cost money. See our guide on personalising a funeral.

Average funeral costs

The average total cost of our funerals in 2022 was £3,935, including our funeral director fees and third party costs (also known as disbursements). Funeral costs do vary depending on the type and location of a funeral.

See below our range of funeral service packages, suited to different budgets: 

Attended

Attended funeral

Your loved one will be taken straight to the service where you can say goodbye. This funeral choice provides all the essentials for an attended funeral. Coffin included.

Funeral Director fees: £2,380 *Other essential additional fees may apply.

Traditional funeral

Our most popular attended funeral package includes many of the traditional funeral choices as standard. You’ll make savings by purchasing as a package rather than choosing each item individually.

Funeral Director fees: £2,605 *Other essential additional fees may apply.

Unattended

Direct burial

Our Direct burial is a cost-effective funeral service and offers an unattended burial, which is suitable for those who do not want a formal funeral service or ceremony. Coffin included.

Funeral Director fees: £1,495 *Other essential additional fees may apply.

Direct cremation

Direct cremation is our most cost-effective funeral and offers an unattended cremation, which is suitable for those who do not want a formal funeral service or ceremony. Coffin included.

Price: £1,495

Funeral costs breakdown

There  are lots of different costs that can be involved with a funeral, many of which are optional or can be tailored to your budget. Our funeral director fees include essential products and services but do not include third party charges. You can also choose to add additional products and services to your exisiting funeral choice, you can see all our additional products and services here. 

Essential products and services

  • Arrangements, administration and paperwork
  • Collecting and caring for the deceased
  • Conducting the funeral service
  • Liaising with third parties (for example the crematorium, church, minister, officiant)
  • Bereavement support

Third party payments (disbursements)

  • Burial fees
  • Cremation fees
  • Medical referee’s certificate for cremations
  • Minister or officiant fees to conduct the funeral service

Additional products and services

  • Funeral vehicles and transportation
  • Coffins and caskets 
  • Stationery 
  • Floral displays
  • Memorials 
  • Keepsakes and urns 
  • Orders of service 
  • Visting a loved one 
  • Grave markers

For a full list of all our services and their costs, follow the link below. 

Our services

We don't charge for funeral services for children aged 16 or under. However if you require additional services such as flowers this would be a additional cost. 

Find out more

Low cost funerals

Unattended funerals are the most cost effective funeral type as there is no ceremony or service, providing a simple and low cost option. Unattended funerals are a popular choice if a wake or celebration of life at home is preferred over a more formal or religious service. 

Direct cremation

Direct cremation is our most cost-effective funeral and offers an unattended cremation, which is suitable for those who do not want a formal funeral service or ceremony. Coffin included.

Price: £1,495

Direct burial

Our Direct burial is a cost-effective funeral service and offers an unattended burial, which is suitable for those who do not want a formal funeral service or ceremony. Coffin included.

Funeral Director fees: £1,495 *Other essential additional fees may apply.

How to pay for a funeral

  • Check whether your loved one had a pre-paid funeral plan, funeral insurance, or whether they had put aside any specific funds for their funeral. If not, you may be able to check what finances they have, and use some of that money to cover the funeral costs.

  • Unless your loved one's money is in a joint account – where the surviving joint owner becomes the sole owner – any funds held in their name will be frozen after their passing.

  • You can get in touch with their bank or building society to learn whether they are willing to release funds to the executor or administrator of the will to help pay for the funeral.

  • Many high street banks and most building societies will often agree to this and will arrange to pay for the funeral services directly. 

Help with funeral costs

We understand how difficult it can be if you find there are insufficient funds to pay for the funeral. However, there are a number of different options for financial support, including:

  • Funeral payment from the Social Fund

  • Bereavement payment

  • Bereavement allowance

  • Widowed parent's allowance


You can find out more about the different types of financial support available and the criteria for eligibility here.

What is a public health funeral?

If no one can afford to cover the costs of the funeral, the local council or hospital can arrange a public health funeral. This is usually a cremation where anyone can attend the funeral service, but the local authority will decide the time and date. Extras such as flowers, cars or notices in the local newspaper are not provided, however there is a short service. 

If you’re receiving certain benefits, you can also apply for a Funeral Payment from the government to help you pay for the funeral.

Every local authority in the UK has a statutory duty to make arrangements for a public health funeral when:

  • A person has died in circumstances where the family is unable to be traced, or

  • No funeral arrangements have been made for that person

What is a Funeral Expenses Payment?

 Funeral Expenses Payment (also called a Funeral Payment) is a government scheme set up for people on a low income who are receiving certain benefits, to help them pay for a funeral. You have three months from the date of the funeral to make a claim. It's important to remember that the Funeral Expenses Payment is a short term loan and you will be expected pay the government back from any money you receive from the person’s estate, such as their savings.

If you’re currently receiving one of the following benefits, you may be eligible for a Funeral Payment:

  • Income Support
  • Housing Benefit
  • The disability or severe disability element of Working Tax Credit
  • Pension Credit
  • Universal Credit
  • Child Tax Credit
  • Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance 

A Funeral Expenses Payment won’t cover the whole funeral bill, but it can help to pay for:

  • The cost of moving the body within mainland UK (if it’s being moved more than 50 miles)
  • Travel to arrange or attend the funeral
  • Death certificates or other documents
  • Cremation fees 

You could also get up to £700 for any other funeral expenses, such as funeral director’s fees, flowers or the coffin.

Find out more