Funeral Plans

The rising cost of funerals in the UK means prepaid funeral plans, particularly for direct cremations, are becoming more popular. Paying for your own funeral in advance means cremation costs are covered and your family won't be left to foot the bill. Compare funeral plans to know exactly what is covered and what you may need to pay extra for.

Independent customer service rating of 4.9/5 on Feefo The UK’s largest direct cremation provider A caring and attentive team here for you and your family 24/7 Nationwide provider operating throughout mainland GB
Independent customer service rating of 4.9/5 on Feefo The UK’s largest direct cremation provider A caring and attentive team here for you and your family 24/7 Nationwide provider operating throughout mainland GB

Planning a funeral in advance, for either yourself or a loved one, can feel daunting, even with the financial and stress-reducing benefits in mind. That's why, at Distinct Cremations, our direct cremation funeral plans are designed to be as flexible, affordable and hassle-free as possible.

With so many options out there to choose from, it can be confusing and time-consuming to compare funeral plans and work out the cheapest cremation plan. So in the table below we look at the price of each direct cremation plan, what's included and what costs extra to make finding the best direct funeral plans that bit easier.

The best funeral plans comparison

To help you find the best and cheapest funeral plan on the market, this table gives you a comprehensive view of what's included in the unattended direct cremation plans of five top funeral providers.

Unattended Cremation Plan Product Feature Pure Cremation Memoria Affordable Funerals Avalon Funeral Plans Celebration of Life
Price (not including extras) £1,899 £1,995 £1,895 £1,675 £1,450
Cancellation fee £95 fee £350 fee £299 fee £395 fee £350 fee
Bringing deceased into care from any place of death throughout mainland Great Britain, 24 hours a day greentick greentick greentick greentick greentick
Removal of pacemaker, medical implants or artificial limbs greentick greentick greentick greentick greentick
Provision of standard coffin greentick greentick greentick greentick greentick
No charge for oversized coffin greentick greentick redcross
£250 extra
greentick greentick
Transport of deceased greentick greentick greentick greentick greentick
Notification of the date of the cremation greentick greentick redcross redcross greentick
Crematorium fee included greentick greentick greentick greentick greentick
Viewing of the deceased redcross redcross redcross redcross redcross
Owns own mortuary and crematorium facilities greentick greentick greentick redcross greentick
Personal return of ashes included greentick greentick greentick redcross greentick
Ashes return guaranteed within 14 days greentick greentick redcross
£175 extra
redcross redcross

All information correct as of 02/12/2024

Alternatively, if you need to arrange a funeral today or in the near future you can compare direct cremation costs.

What is an unattended direct cremation funeral plan?

A prepaid, unattended direct cremation funeral plan allows you to pay in advance for the exact funeral you want while you are still able to do so. Payment can be made either upfront or over a period of years. Having a funeral plan can alleviate the financial pressures of a dignified send-off and protects your loved ones from unexpected costs. Planning in advance also helps reduce stress on your loved ones when they need time to process and support one another.

With our funeral plans you have flexible payment options to best suit your situation, putting you in control of your end-of-life plans.

How do prepaid funeral plans from Distinct Cremations work?

Distinct Cremations' low cost cremation funeral plans are perfect for those looking to safeguard their future. A funeral plan removes the uncertainty around your wishes, relieves some of the pressure your loved ones may feel when arranging a funeral and is inclusive of all the essentials.

Get your free guide now

Distinct Cremations are specialists in fuss-free, dignified farewells. Our free guide reveals how you can reduce the stress and expense of a traditional funeral.

The guide outlines what is included in the plan, payment options, how to take one out and what will be included in your customer pack.

Alternatively, call us for free on 01543 211997 and our team will help you get started and answer all your questions.

Get your free guide

What are the benefits of a funeral plan?

The major benefit of having a funeral plan in place is that costs are frozen at the current market rate. This means your funeral is protected against any price increases and can be paid off in plenty of time.

The cost of a funeral has increased by 45% since 2010*. But with a funeral plan, you can secure today's prices for the future.

Funeral plans are perfect for those looking to safeguard their future. They remove the uncertainty around your wishes and relieve some of the pressure your loved ones may feel when arranging a funeral.

* Increase is based on the cost of a basic funeral in 2012 (£2,713) and the cost of a basic funeral in 2023 (£4,141)(SunLife Cost of Dying Report 2024, sunlife.co.uk/funeral-costs)

When funeral planning, it's wise to think about your financial security. Whether you'd like to pay for a Distinct Cremations funeral plan upfront or pay over 1, 5 or 10 years, there are different ways that your money is protected.

Learn more about how we keep your money safe after you've taken out a funeral plan.

How we keep your money safe

No two funeral plans are the same. Although there may be similar aspects covered, what you want to include in your funeral plan and what you want to spend is down to you and your family. The first thing to decide on is the type of service you need and which package you'd like.

With Distinct Cremations, you have four options. We offer an Unattended Direct Cremation Plan, two Small Attended Cremation Plans and a Simple Funeral Plan.

All of our prepaid funeral plans cover the essentials - a coffin, a temporary ashes container, the cremation, return of the ashes and much more.

Unattended Direct Cremation Plan

From £1,899
or £19.79* per month

Celebrate a life without the restrictions of a funeral

  • Simple, dignified and our
    cheapest funeral plan
  • No formal service or
    attendees present

Small Attended Cremation Plans

From £2,199
or £25.58** per month

Two simple service options for a family-led send off

  • A 10 minute service for
    up to 8 attendees OR
  • A 20 minute service for up to 20 attendees

Simple
Funeral Plan

From £2,999
or £37.80*** per month

A respectful cremation funeral led by a celebrant

  • Unrestricted number
    of attendees
  • A full length service at
    the crematorium

* Price advertised is for a 50 year old paying over a 10 year period. Total cost is £2,374.80 and includes administration fees. ** Price advertised is for a 50 year old paying over a 10 year period. Total cost is £3,069.60 and includes administration fees. *** Price advertised is for a 50 year old paying over a 10 year period. Total cost is £4,536 and includes administration fees.

For additional pricing information and a full list of our optional extras, please see our price list.

Distinct Cremations

Why choose a Direct Cremation with Distinct?

Find Peace of Mind

We’ll take care of everything, so your family don’t need to - from collection to the paperwork and right through to cremation

Highest Quality

We have the Distinct advantage of only investing in the best funeral and mortuary care at our state of the art facilities

24/7 Support

Our highly experienced, attentive customer service specialists are here for you & your family 24/7. We’re here whenever you need us

Available Nationwide

No matter where you live in the UK mainland, our specialist direct cremations are available for the same price

Dedication to Direct Cremation

We focus solely on direct cremations across mainland England, Wales and Scotland, offering the highest quality nationwide for the best price

What our customers say about us

We offer the highest level of support, but don't just take our word for it. Below are recent reviews from customers who bought a funeral with us.

4.9/5
Feefo logo
4.9/5
Google g icon
4.8/5
Trustpilot logo
Read all our reviews
Anonymous, on Feefo 19 Dec 2024
perfect service thank you
Richard Ingram, on Google 18 Dec 2024
My wife and I decided to sort out our funeral arrangements we looked at various brochures phoned all the major company's .The best one we found was Distinct cremations not the cheapest but the best . The lady who dealt with me was so informative and patient . Everything was explained and all my questions were answered ,I didn't feel pushed into making a decision there and then .This company do really care I've never spoke to anyone in the industry with such knowledge of their company and such compassion when discussing what is a delicate and personal subject . We have recommended this company to my wife's sister and husband and they too have taken out a policy with them . Fully recommended
David Hanbury, on Google 12 Dec 2024
Excellent and caring communication via mail, email and phone. Very impressed with the courtesy and quality of service.
Earl Batty, on Google 12 Dec 2024
Upon deciding what future wishes I wanted I contacted distinct and spoke to a wonderful lady called Sarah Jordan who explained everything I needed to know regarding my future wishes in the most calming, stress free way, Sarah made the whole process feel so natural,where people may find this sort of thing quite a difficult subject to approach, Sarah has an undoubted ,reassuring quality about her and her calming and caring nature shone through like a lighthouse guiding the ship to port, very professional in her attitude and mindful of what the customer may or not need without the pushy type nature of a sales person selling a product, I was so grateful for the input I received and without doubt I would recommend this company for your future wishes to be taken care of, very competitively priced with so many different options to choose from,and also a good financial plan for spreading the cost that makes it manageable for your own personal choice,and most importantly someone who has a good idea of what you are going through but also the reassurance you need to make your final wishes and decisions when the time comes thanks Sarah
Lesley Williams, on Google 29 Nov 2024
Excellent service...Lovely people who deal with enquiries straight away. Would highly recommend
Nick Cotton, on Google 27 Nov 2024
Very friendly and helpful, no hard sales just answers any question you have and send you paperwork to read with application if you want. We called back and did paperwork on the phone for ease, also paid over the phone. They do this on a secure line too so details are not recorded. I am very happy with their sales team.
Anonymous, on Feefo 25 Nov 2024
All staff were wonderful and very caring. Very respectful made a hard time easy to talk about. My moms wedding rings she had 2 off my dad cme back polished and in a lovely purple pouch, a lovely touch. The ashes were delivered to my door by a very smart and well dressed man. Brilliant from start to finish
David Timmis, on Google 24 Nov 2024
We found the lady we spoke to was very helpful explaining every thing in detail, and are very pleased with the service and plan, a good price. We strongly recommend distinct cremations.
4.9/5
Feefo logo
4.9/5
Google g icon
4.8/5
Trustpilot logo
Read all our reviews
Sue Cook Talking About Direct Cremation

Distinct Cremations leave out the funeral fuss and needless extras but leave in great service and a wonderfully caring attitude.

Sue Cook, TV Presenter

Call on 01543211997

Unattended direct cremation plans are the cheapest funeral package on the market in the UK. For example, our unattended direct cremation plan starts at £1,899 with the option to pay in a single payment, over 12 months, 5 years or 10 years.

At Distinct Cremations, you can opt for a direct cremation plan without a funeral service or as an alternative low-cost option we also offer cremation plans with a service. Our funeral plans are designed to cater to your wishes and an Unattended Direct Cremation Plan is our cheapest prepaid cremation option.

In terms of the financial cost, a direct cremation is the cheapest funeral option available. The average cost of a direct cremation in the UK is £1,498. This is on average £2,643 cheaper* than a traditional funeral with a service.

However, the low price point doesn't mean that a direct cremation is lacking in compassionate support and respectful care throughout the process.

*Based on the cost of a traditional funeral at £4,141 vs a direct cremation funeral at £1,498 (SunLife Cost of Dying Report 2024, sunlife.co.uk/funeral-costs)

Prepaid funeral plans are the perfect way to secure a low-cost, respectful, meaningful funeral that can be paid off monthly for up to 10 years. For example, Distinct Cremations offers direct cremation funeral plans that are available on monthly payment plans for 12 months, 5 years or 10 years.

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