Helping You Find The Right Funeral Director

A Funeral Director is there to guide your family through the funeral planning and can also be referred to as an undertaker or mortician. For those who may not have previously organised a funeral, expert guidance is needed to ensure the ceremony runs smoothly and inline with the wishes of the family.

Funeral Directors cover a vast variety of services depending on the level of help and support a family needs, but their primary role is to collect and store the deceased before arranging a burial or cremation.

Providing the support you need

As well as helping you to organise the funeral, most funeral companies are also trained in grief counselling, providing compassionate support at a difficult and emotional time. When trying to decide on your Funeral Director of choice, it is often these supportive competencies that can set one director apart from another.

Key services provided by a Funeral Director

• Meeting with families
• Helping families to plan the service
• Embalming and preparing the body
• Planning and organising the wake
• Planning and organising the memorial service
• Placing obituary notices in newspapers
• Handling the paperwork

For the services the Funeral Directors do not offer, they will also help you in finding and co-ordinating professionals e.g. for funeral flowers and transportation.

For more information about what a Funeral Director does, please click here.

One of the most important things to keep in mind when choosing a Funeral Director is that you should choose one that you feel comfortable with. There is no pressure to choose the first Funeral Director you come across or one that has been contracted to you by a care home or hospital. Contact a couple of Directors to compare their costs and services.

Ask family and friends

To ensure you find a Funeral Director that is right for you, you could ask family and friends for their advice. Alternatively, if your loved one was in a hospital or care home, they may have some recommendations for you.

To find out more about finding the right Funeral Director for you, please click here.

According to the Royal London National Funeral Cost Index, the average funeral in the UK costs £3,757.

Funeral costs can be split into two categories:

1. The cost of the Funeral Directors’ services and time.
2. Third-party costs for any additional services the Funeral Director does not provide, but arrange on your behalf, e.g. flowers and transport.

Find out how you can save on funeral costs here

Is there any help available for funeral costs?

Government funding or charity grants are two options for financial support when planning a funeral. To find out more about government funding, click here [link].

To find out more about the cost of a Funeral Director, please click here.

Registering a death is a straightforward process, one that will not take you too much time, money or effort.

Who Can Register a Death?

Depending on where you are in the UK, there are specific time limits that apply for registering a death. In England, Wales or Northern Ireland the limit is five days, however if you’re registering a death in Scotland the limit is eight days.

There are no restrictions on who can register the death of a loved one, but it is usually a close relative. If this isn’t a possibility, the person who registers a death could be:

• Any relative, including in-laws
• Someone who was with the person when they passed
• Someone who is responsible for or resides at the address where the person died
• The person who is taking care of the funeral planning (excluding the funeral director)

Where do I go?

Once you have the medical certificate for a GP or doctor, it is advised to use the registry office in the closest proximity to where the death occurred, as offices further away will likely incur delays. You will have to call ahead to arrange an appointment, and it is a good idea to bring someone with you for comfort and support.

Prepare yourself for registration

In addition to the medical certificate you will have received from the doctor, you’ll also need the following information:

• The full name and any other names the deceased may have used, e.g. maiden name
• Their date of birth
• Their place of birth (including town if born in the UK)
• Their occupation (or last occupation prior to retiring)
• Their last known address
• Details of any state benefits or pensions they are entitled to receive

Please note that it is free to register a death.

For more information on how to register a death and the paperwork, please click here.

A traditional funeral service can be split into three parts.

Initially, the family of the deceased will gather at the home of their loved one, or another property of their choosing, to await cortege. After being transported to the venue, the service will take place and be followed by a committal. The committal will either be held at the graveside or within a crematorium. After the funeral, relations of the deceased may also choose to hold a reception to remember and celebrate their loved one.

To organise a traditional service, it is important to locate the best funeral director for you, considering venue location, what is involved in the ceremony, dress-code, transportation and whether or not there will be a wake.

Choosing a venue and transportation

Most traditional funerals will be held at the local church, or perhaps somewhere with sentimental value for the deceased.

Funeral directors through whom you have arranged the funeral will usually help you in organising transportation to and from the church.

Organising the ceremony

To ensure the ceremony runs smoothly, it is best to liaise with your funeral director as well as the priest or vicar who is guiding the service. They will answer any questions you may have about the ceremony, offering you advice and suggestions.

If you or your family were fortunate to have been able to speak to your loved one about their funeral wishes, you may already have plans as to what should be included.

Post-ceremony gathering

There are not set rules for arranging a wake, and views on a wake differ depending on the person, the region and the denomination of the deceased.

Some opt not to have a gathering after the ceremony, whilst others may welcome mourners into their home for refreshments and to share memories about the deceased.

There is also the option to hire a venue for the wake, perhaps a local pub your loved one visited regularly, a village hall or their favourite restaurant.

For more information on how to arrange a traditional service, please click here.

Paying for the funeral of a loved one is not just an emotionally difficult time but can also be a financial strain. A Funeral Payment is a government scheme aimed to help those with a low income in paying for a funeral.

What can the funding help with?

The Funeral Payment will not cover the entire cost of the funeral, so you may have to pay up to a third of the overall cost of a simple funeral. However, it can help pay for the following:

• Burial fees for a specific place or burial plot
• Death certificates or other important documents
• Cremation fees
• Transportation to and from the ceremony
• The cost of moving the body within the UK (if it is over 50 miles)
• You can also receive up to £700 for any other funeral costs, e.g. funeral director fees or flowers.

Am I eligible for funding?

To qualify for a Funeral Payment, you need to have had a specific relationship with your loved one that meets the governments criteria, must be planning to hold the funeral in the UK, the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland.

In addition, it is also necessary that you are currently receiving some form of financial assistance or benefit from the government. This can include but is not limited to:

• Income support
• Jobseekers allowance
• Employment and support allowance

Click for more eligibility information

You might also be eligible if you receive monetary assistance for a mortgage, and you are able to claim Funeral Payment even if your application for government benefits hasn’t been approved yet.

How to claim

To claim for Funeral Payment, you can do so either before or after the funeral service.

To make a claim, visit the government website and download the relevant form.

For more information of funeral funding, please click here.

Many people are reluctant to think about death, let alone discussing it with loved ones. Some people think it is superstitious to plan for such unfortunate events, but more and more people are considering pre-planning their funeral.

There is often a worry of becoming a financial burden in the aftermath of passing, which is why planning ahead can be a logical solution to ensure all is paid for and taken care of.

If you are unsure whether this is the right decision for you, below are some common reasons why it might be worth considering:

Your funeral, your way

Whether you’re choosing where you’d like to be laid to rest or the flowers at the service, planning your funeral gives you your say. In the agony of grief and bereavement, it can be very difficult for your loved ones to make these decisions, particularly if family members have different opinions. Save any disagreement and choose the elements of the funeral yourself.

Choose who attends

It isn’t always clear to family who you might or might not want at your funeral, but by planning in advance you can decide. If you are a public figure or a member of the military, you may also have the option of a public or private funeral.

Relieve the financial burden

By planning your own funeral, you are able to fix the cost of your funerals at today’s prices regardless of when you may pass, giving you peace of mind that everything is taken care of.

Although a difficult decision to make, planning a funeral ahead saves money and stress. The idea of death doesn’t have to be a morbid one. After all, a funeral is a celebration of life.

To find out more about pre-planning a funeral, please click here.

You can use this website to search or browse funeral directors in your area. To search – use the search box at the top of the page, which will take you through to a results page that displays a selection of funeral directors near you. If there are none available in your area, it will show others close by. Alternatively you can browse by location – simply click the ‘funeral directors’ link at the top of this page then select your region and city / town.