According to research carried out by SunLife in 2021, the average cost of dying in the UK is now a staggering £9,263, higher than it has ever been.
The funeral element of this total makes up a little over 45% (£4,184), with the rest being made up of professional fees, venue hire, catering, a memorial etc.
As a result of spiralling funeral costs, where prices have increased 122% in 16 years with figures forecast to continue rising, many people are looking at less traditional methods of saying goodbye as a way of ensuring their loved ones are not left with a substantial bill.
The average cost of a cremation (£3,885) is significantly cheaper than that of a burial (£5,033). However, in recent years another more cost-effective option, known as direct cremations, have become more and more popular.
What is a direct cremation?
Direct cremations are much more affordable than either a burial or a standard cremation; £1,554 on average. This is because a direct cremation is stripped of many of the elements of a traditional funeral.
- There is no ceremony
- There is no procession
- There are no mourners
This means that your family may have to arrange and pay for a separate service or wake, if this is something you wish to hold.
As a result of direct cremations becoming more popular (even David Bowie chose to have one in 2016), specialist funeral plan providers have emerged. Most notably, market leaders Simplicity Cremations and Pure Cremations.
In this in-depth article we review Pure Cremations….
What are Pure Cremations?
Pure Cremation only provide direct cremation funeral plans, with prices starting from £31.90 a month for their ‘Trust based plan’ or £6.25 a month for their ‘Over 50s plan’ option, (more details on each plan below).
A direct cremation is a fuss-free funeral, where family members do not attend and a ceremony is not held.
The popularity of direct cremations is growing fast, but are Pure Cremations the right funeral plan provider for you?
How does Pure Cremation work?
Pure Cremation provides all the necessary services required to carry out a direct cremation.
They are the only UK provider to offer just cremations. They even own a purpose built crematorium located in Charlton, where all their cremations are carried out. This facility also offers a chapel, farewell space and a dedicated Garden of Remembrance.
Pure Cremation offer two different funeral plans and both options include the following services:
- Collection of the deceased from anywhere in mainland UK (24 hours a day)
- Transport of the body to the crematorium
- Care and preparation of the body
- A pine eco-coffin
- Hand delivery of ashes to any mainland address in the UK within 21 days or the option to scatter the ashes in the Garden of Remembrance
- Cremation fees for an unattended committal
- Doctors’ fees (if applicable)
Pure Cremation have trained staff available to help you with all the arrangements and then to provide support for your family and loved ones.
However, unlike attended cremations, it is Pure Cremation who decides when and where the cremation takes place.
You can compare different funeral plan quotes completely free of charge by using an FCA regulated broker, such as Reassured.
Pure Cremation reviews (Trustpilot and Reviews.co.uk)
Whilst we are comprehensively reviewing Pure Cremations within this article, it is even more important to look into how customers rated their service.
Pure Cremation Ltd have earned an impressive 4.89/5 average rating from 866 reviews on reviews.co.uk (as of 13/01/21). With 98% of reviewers recommending Pure Cremation.
They also have an ‘Excellent’ 4.9/5 rating on Trustpilot from over 1000 independent reviews.
Pure Cremation funeral plans
Pure cremation currently has two funeral plan options to choose from.
- Trust based plan
Cost: £1,595 or from £31.90 per month
Available to applicants aged 18+ (no upper age limit)
Protects from inflation
Fully guaranteed
Deposit optional
Various payment options
Includes an administration fee (£350) - Over 50s Insurance plan
Cost: From £6.25 per month
Available to applicants aged 50 – 75
Monthly premium payments until you’re 90th birthday
Protects from inflation
Fully guaranteed
Guaranteed acceptance
No deposit required
The ‘Pure Promise’
Both funeral plans arranged through Pure Cremation include what is known as their ‘Pure Promise’.
Similar to other funeral plan providers, Pure Cremation will guarantee your funeral services. This means that no matter how much time passes, your loved ones will not have to pay anything else towards the cost of your funeral.
The Pure Promise is subject to:
- All Trust Based plan payments are complete
- All over 50s plan payments are up to date with a minimum of 24 consecutive monthly premiums already paid
With an over 50s plan, if you have paid a minimum of 24 consecutive monthly premiums but you pass away before the plan has been paid in full, Pure Cremation will still carry out your cremation as per your plan.
This is similar to traditional funeral plans, safeguarding your investment in case anything were to happen to you during a long term payment plan.
How safe is your money?
Pure Cremation Ltd are approved by the Funeral Planning Authority (FPA), which means that there are a number of measures put in place to ensure your money is secure.
Trust based plan; Funds paid into the Trust based plan are held in the Pure Cremation Funeral Plan Trust, which is a completely independent organisation managed by trustees.
Funds are only released so that the cremation can be provided (or if the plan is cancelled/payments stop).
Is a direct cremation right for you?
In summary, Pure Cremation provides an exclusive and dignified service for customers wanting a fuss-free, low key funeral.
Their plans include all the necessary elements from beginning to end to ensure you and your loved ones are taken care of.
From collection and care of the body, to hand delivery of the ashes.
Their plans ensure that anyone in the UK can have one of their direct cremations.
But this is due to their crematoria location which is based in Hampshire.
The direct cremation route isn’t for everyone, and many still opt for a full traditional or celebration of life service.
Family traditions or expectations also play a huge part in the decision process.
There are simple funeral plans available that offer all the elements of a funeral with ceremony but won’t break the bank.
For example, a basic funeral plan arranged through Reassured starts from just £20.38 per month or £3,220 upfront.
With a simple funeral plan, your funeral costs will be covered, but you also won’t need to worry about unnecessary extravagance.
In summary, Pure Cremations are a very good option and 1000s of Brits use their services. However, with prices of prepaid plans constantly fluctuating it is always a good idea to compare multiple quotes to ensure to secure the most affordable option.
Sources:
https://www.sunlife.co.uk/funeral-costs/https://www.purecremation.co.uk/
https://www.purecremation.co.uk/
