Funeral costs

[Seagull Steve]

My father died on Sunday, which is why I haven't been on much. I have absolutely no idea about how to go about these things. I am the oldest son, and am trying to take the load off of my mother who is in bits. I mean do you just go into a funeral parlour and use them, or do you get quotes (sounds silly I know) As far as I know, there is not a great deal of his money left, and because it was a very short illness, that progressed very rapidly, no provisions were made. I have the paper work to register the death at the town hall. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Biscuit]

Very sorry for your loss mate.

 

[bobby smith]

Very sorry 4 u Bud :-(
My Dad died couple of years ago, Ian Hart did Him proud if u want his mobile number PM me Matey

 

[MORTY]

Try and get a few copies of the death certificate. Everyone will seem to want one (banks etc). Sorry for your loss fella

 

[Bwian]

Sincere condolences-sorry to hear of your loss.

For funeral advice you can always talk to Ian Hart but I think they all charge about the same. Once you select one, they take over and make it as painless as possible. It isn't pleasant but things become less chaotic.

Hope this helps.

 

[Seagulltonian]

Sorry to hear of your loss mate. Never an easy time.

Quick search for you, plenty of info here.

 

[The Sock of Poskett]

Sorry to hear that, Seagull Steve. You'll find that any funeral director will be helpful and guide you through what needs to happen.

This website might prove helpful: I First Things First when Someone Dies at FuneralServicesGuide.com

Best thing really is to get recommendations from friends or neighbours - good funeral directors are normally recommended by others. Cost-wise, independent family-run firms are normally better value than the groups (eg Co-op etc) but recommendations are the best route. Hope all works out OK for you.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Sorry to hear of your loss. I've just spoken to my father...

Sorry to sound technical...

1) Register the death
2) If there is a will, then get that out in the open or someone to look over that. There (presumably) will be an appointed executor of the will. That should tell whom is in charge and things such as a cremation/burial.
3) If in doubt of anything, then the Citizens Advice Bureau SHOULD be great help

My own thoughts, Ian Harty (of Gulls Eye) is a Funeral Director, and I reckon you could do a lot worse that asking him for advice or using him.

 

[Bwian]

Try and get a few copies of the death certificate. Everyone will seem to want one (banks etc). Sorry for your loss fella

Good advice-I got 7 copies and that was about enough for all of the different companies/authorities. Best to get a couple more in one go.

 

[The Peanut Roaster]

My father died on Sunday, which is why I haven't been on much. I have absolutely no idea about how to go about these things. I am the oldest son, and am trying to take the load off of my mother who is in bits. I mean do you just go into a funeral parlour and use them, or do you get quotes (sounds silly I know) As far as I know, there is not a great deal of his money left, and because it was a very short illness, that progressed very rapidly, no provisions were made. I have the paper work to register the death at the town hall. Any advice would be appreciated.

Genuinly sorry to hear that Steve.

Pm 'harty'.

He arranged my mum's funeral, and to be honest, he did my family very, very, proud.

 

[skipper734]

Get an undertaker and he will give you various options on pricing and what he /she does for you. You will need to get probate to access his Bank account etc. This is the process that will drive you crazy and provide maximum aggro just when you don't need it.

 

[Art Vs Science]

Sorry about your sad news Steve.

 

[The Wookiee]

I have often wondered about funeral expenses, what happens if the person who dies has no provisions for funeral expenses? Who has to foot the bill ?

 

[paul1960]

Some useful links which i found useful:

What to do after a death : Directgov - Government, citizens and rights

Legal issues, practical procedures to take when someone dies


Use the directgov checklist really useful and work your way through to help your mum. If currently receiving a pension I found the Pension service on 0845 6060 265 really helpful and they sorted out death benefits etc etc.

 

[patchamalbion]

family usually have to foot the bill if there are no provsions such as Life Assurance or a pot of money set aside

 

[bobby smith]

I have often wondered about funeral expenses, what happens if the person who dies has no provisions for funeral expenses? Who has to foot the bill ?

Ultimately the State

 

[Super Steve Earle]

Get an undertaker and he will give you various options on pricing and what he /she does for you. You will need to get probate to access his Bank account etc. This is the process that will drive you crazy and provide maximum aggro just when you don't need it.

Sorry to hear of your loss, but you probably won't need Probate for Bank accounts. Executor likely only to need Will & Death Cert. Check the Will for funeral/cremation instructions. If you are the executor, be methodical and make lists of everyone you advise. You'll need to check everything gets done..

 

[Seagull Steve]

Thanks guy's, I really appreciate your kind words, and the advice. I will look at all of the links given, and talk to my mum about Harty being recommended by you. I know that I could have searched for info on google, but my heads a bit messed up atm. So thanks again.

 

[Fef]

Sorry to hear about your Dad, Steve.

Your question isn't silly. You probably won't feel that you want to 'shop around' with funeral directors - just visit your local FD. The majority of people do. Be prepared though, a funeral can be somewhat costly.

FDs are sensitive to the needs of their clients, as many of them haven't been through the process before. They'll ask you about the type of funeral (burial or cremation), the type of coffin, type of handles to go on it etc. Don't start feeling guilty about going for the cheaper option; without wishing to sound insensitive, if your Dad is being cremated, an expensive coffin is an unnecessary expense. They will make all the arrangements for you.

If necessary, get one or two copies of the death certificate, as you may need them to close bank accounts and to claim on any insurance policies etc., and the FD will need it.

Don't forget to inform your relatives (this can be hard), and subsequently let them know when the funeral will take place.

Getting over the loss of a close family member can take some time - up to two years or more - but I know that the old saying of 'time being a great healer' is true.

Best wishes.

 

[Seagulls over Essex]

Steve, very sorry to hear of your sad loss. I was a similar position to you 2 years go, I know how you must be feeling right now. To answer your question, my advice would be to obtain 3 quotes as prices can vary considerably. We chose Ian Hart as he offered best value, and we were very pleased with the level of service he provided. I believe most funeral directors will not bill you until a few weeks after the funeral has taken place. Hope this helps in some way.