Budget funerals costing from £1,480 are being launched by online wills and probate specialist Farewill.
The basic price includes an oak veneer coffin, transport to collect the deceased person, a 20-minute service at a crematorium, music and readings, and the return of ashes to a family afterwards.
A celebrant to lead the service, flowers, a live webcast and an alternative wicker coffin are among the extras available from Farewill, which is initially offering the deal in London but plans to roll it out widely in coming months.
Send-off for a loved one: Current rules under all three tiers of coronavirus restrictions limit mourners at a funeral to 30
Funeral costs have risen in recent years and Farewill says its price is two thirds less than the average £4,417 bill cited in an industry survey earlier this year.
Farewill, which This is Money’s parent company DMGT owns a stake in through its DMG Ventures arm, has run an online will writing service since 2015.
It has also launched a fixed-fee £595 probate service and a no-frills cremation deal for £980 over the past year.
Farewill says demand for its direct cremations has quadrupled during the pandemic.
These take place without mourners present, and ashes are returned to a family afterwards, when they are free to arrange an event marking the death at a price within their budget.
The current rules under all three tiers of coronavirus restrictions limit mourners at a funeral to 30, while no more than 15 people can attend a wake.
Farewill says some crematoria will have slightly lower capacity depending on how they are able to accommodate the Covid-19 restrictions.
The extras and their cost include:
– A live webcast of the funeral, with no limit on how many can stream it, for between £30 and £45;
– An alternative willow wicker coffin for £450;
– An alternative willow wicker urn for £60;
– Floral tributes, with the ‘classic’ for £60 and ‘wild’ for £90.
If urgent collection of the deceased person is needed, this will cost £250. The doctor’s fee to confirm the cause of death is a standard £82, but this is not charged if there is a post mortem.
To arrange the funeral, families can make choices online, or consult Farewill staff on the phone, by email and video call, and the handling of all paperwork to do with the event is covered in the basic price.
Farewill’s funeral offer is available in nine crematoria in London and the south east so far, but the number is rising and the service will roll out to the rest of England and Wales next year, with the aim of expanding it further over time.
New funeral offer: The basic price includes a traditional oak veneer coffin
Dan Garrett, Farewill chief executive, says: ‘For too long, people have been pushed into old-fashioned funerals, full of hidden costs and without enough space to make the service their own.
‘The funeral industry hasn’t changed in over 150 years – it’s the largest industry yet to adapt as people’s preferences and needs are changing.
‘A funeral is the moment to say goodbye together and to remember the people you love in a way that represents who they are. With our funeral service, we’re making getting a meaningful service affordable.’
