Arranging a Funeral

Arranging your loved ones funeral

A funeral may only take place after the death has been registered. There are countless decisions that have to be made by the organiser during one of the most upsetting times of their lives. Often people describe organising a funeral as baffling, terrifying, weird, overwhelming and devastating but many of these emotions can be alleviated if there was a funeral plan in place.

Not everyone wishes to have a traditional funeral, some may choose a humanist funeral, green burial or even direct cremation. So, how do you find your loved one’s directions? If they had a Will they would have provided their funeral wishes or they may have indicated they had a funeral plan and if not, you will have to make these emotional decisions.

Below, you will find a useful checklist for arranging a funeral:-

• Does the Will/funeral plan provide directions for burial/cremation?
• Are ashes to be scattered or interred at a specific place?
• Contact the funeral director, the GP or hospital may provide these details or, you may be aware of a reputable local company. This is a very distressing and emotional part of dealing with the death of a loved one. There are so many decisions to be made for example, where the service will take place and what time, how many cars will be required, will the coffin be pine or oak, chrome handles or gold-painted ones, what music will be played, arrangement for visiting your loved one in the chapel of rest. It may be beneficial to have a family meeting prior to meeting the funeral director so that the above areas can be discussed.
• How many attendees and organisation of this
• Order of Service
• Flowers
• Newspaper announcement
• Where will the Wake be held – food, drink and accessibility for attendees

Payment of the Funeral

According to latest research* a funeral arranged in the usual way costs, on average £3,675 and in London, the price of a funeral is almost double the national average.

If your loved one had available funds in their bank account then arrangements can be made for the funeral account to be paid direct from these available funds. Ask the funeral director for a full account and take this to the bank – they will arrange payment direct to the funeral director.

In certain circumstances, you can apply for Bereavement Support Payment – to see if you are eligible call the Bereavement Service helpline or pick up a form from your local JobCentre Plus Bereavement Service Helpline Telephone: 0345 606 0265.

However, you choose to arrange a funeral, you should set a budget that you stick to.