×
Two Together: Save £100!
Save £100 when you purchase two funeral plans together. Call us for more details.
Two Together: Save £100!
Save £100 when you purchase two funeral plans together. Call us for more details.
One of the first things we tend to notice when we are confronted with the need to arrange a funeral (or when we start to think about our own future funeral) is how expensive things can be. For that reason, many of us are looking for ways of arranging a low-cost cremation. In this article, we will discuss, among other things: what is a low-cost cremation; the affordability of direct cremation; and things to consider when arranging a low-cost cremation. We hope you find it useful.
We’d also just like to say that, whether you are looking into this now because you have recently been bereaved and find yourself needing to arrange something at short notice, or because you are thinking about your own future funeral needs, we recognise the potential difficulty of your situation. Aura is here to help you whatever the case may be.
Key Takeaways
A low-cost cremation, more popularly known today as a ‘direct cremation’, is one of the cheapest cremations available in the UK. It’s a type of funeral that focuses on being concise and cost-effective above most other things. Despite that, they are just as dignified and respectful as a traditional funeral.
Usually, direct cremation takes place without any mourners present, or any of the usual formal elements we tend to associate with funerals, such as hearses, floral tributes with the name of the person who has died, or a funeral procession.
It’s a type of cremation funeral ceremony that is getting more and more popular in the UK. This is likely due to three main reasons:
It looks like the changes in the UK funeral landscape are here to stay. We will now take a closer look at the concept of a low-cost cremation, providing guidance on how to arrange a low-cost cremation, and on what support is available out there when it comes to how to pay for a funeral.
At Aura, we know just how heavily paying for the cost of a funeral can weigh, whether that’s a funeral for a loved one needed immediately, or a plan for your own funeral in the future.
SunLife puts last year’s average UK funeral cost at £4,285. They also point out that, between 2004 and 2024, funeral prices have risen by 126%, far above the general consumer price inflation of 72% in the same period.
It’s not surprising that many people see a low-cost, direct cremation as a way out of this predicament. At £1,695, we’re proud to offer families our prepaid funeral plans, starting at less than half of SunLife’s average UK funeral price. With Aura, you can benefit from more affordable prices without having to compromise on quality.
The best way to make organising a funeral easier, whether a low-cost cremation or otherwise, is to break the process down into individual steps.
With Aura, the cremation process works like this: once we’re notified that a death has occurred, we bring that person into our care as swiftly as possible, making sure that, until the day of the cremation, they are resting in state-0f-the-art, local mortuary facilities. On the cremation day, we bring them to the crematorium from where they are resting in a private ambulance.
The cremation itself occurs very shortly after the ceremony, and takes 1–3 hours. Within 21 days of the cremation, we hand-deliver the ashes back to the family of the deceased at no extra cost, or we scatter them in the crematorium’s peace garden, in line with their wishes. Please be advised that, with funerals organised at short-notice, hand-delivery has a nominal fee.
It’s important to take the time to think about what you’d like out of your funeral: do you want guests to attend? If so, how many? Or would you rather that your cremation is completely unattended and understated? What sort of music would you like; some of the best funeral songs or the most popular UK funeral hymns? The answer to these questions will help to determine the kind of service that will be delivered, as well as the price you’ll pay.
Different providers allow for the attendance of guests, even at a cheap cremation. If you’re struggling to decide on the best thing for you, why not try talking about death and dying with them, to see if they can help you to decide on your funeral wishes?
Once you’ve figured out the kind of funeral you are looking for, the next thing you may want to think about is finding a provider that is a good match for you. It’s always important to bear in mind that each provider is different, and they may offer different types of plan, all including different things.
As recommended by Money Saving Expert, if you’re opting for a prepaid funeral plan, make sure you understand what’s included in the price you’re paying. That way you can be sure you’re getting the lowest possible cost for your cremation. Whether your funeral needs are short term or long term, it can be really helpful to compare direct cremation providers, or to compare funeral plans, giving you a clearer idea of what your options are.
There are different ways of paying for funerals. If you are organising one for someone who has died recently, usually the funeral needs to be paid in one transaction. But if you are getting your own end-of-life plans in place, there are other options available, such as a prepaid funeral plan, or over-50s life insurance.
With one of Aura’s affordable cremation plans, you can pay for everything in advance, choosing to pay in a lump sum, or in 12-to-24 monthly instalments. We don’t charge you a different price should you decide to split the payments; it’s always the same final cost, which means that you can choose what to do without any pressure.
| Unattended | Intimate | Fully Attended | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating from independent experts at Fairer Finance | |||
| Cremation fees included |  | | |
| Collection fees included. 24/7 within mainland Britain | | | |
| Oversized/bariatric coffin | | | |
| Return of ashes or scattered in the garden of remembrance | | | |
| Removal of standard medical items (e.g. pacemaker) | | | |
| Choice of crematorium | ✘ | | |
| Attended Service | ✘ | | |
Many types of funeral can be expensive, even the ones we are calling “low-cost cremations”. The thought of having to pay a large bill for funeral expenses can bring a lot of stress into the lives of any family. Besides looking for affordable cremation plans, or providers with reasonable prices, for those in need there is help with funeral expenses available from the public sector, and from charities.
The British government has two specific schemes allowing certain families to claim funeral costs: The Bereavement Support Payment and The Funeral Expenses Payment. Did you know that it may also be possible, if your loved one has died, to access money in their bank or building society account, if you need it to pay for funeral expenses? This can be done through the Grant of Probate scheme, and can be a big help for families where the main earner has passed away.
There are also charities in the UK that provide all kinds of bereavement-related support.
We hope you’ve found this article about arranging a low-cost cremation useful. Aura is the top-rated national ‘Cremation Services’ provider in the UK on Trustpilot, with a score of 4.9/5 stars. Our compassionate, people-first approach to service has helped us to earn this recognition. Our cremation services are available for fully unattended ceremonies, intimate ceremonies, and fully attended ceremonies. They start at £1,695 for those looking for a funeral plan, and at £1,195 for those in need now.
The secret to our success is our Aura Angel team, who will be there to support either you or your family in arranging a low-cost cremation, whether as part of a funeral plan for your own future funeral, or for more immediate needs. They can offer emotional, logistical, and administrative support.
If you think that Aura can help you to get a funeral plan sorted, why not download our free funeral plan brochure today? If it fails to answer all of our questions, we’d be delighted to hear from you over the phone.
Our brochure includes all the details you need surrounding our prepaid direct cremation funeral plans.
Get your free brochure sent by email or First Class post by clicking on the link below.
