Work out which cremation you need —
before you speak to anyone.
A few quiet questions, then an honest answer for your situation — including how to pay for it, or whether you need to pay at all.
I'm Charlie. I've spent 20+ years working in UK funeral care. This is free, anonymous, and I take no commission from anyone.
Who I am, and why this is free
I'm Charlie, and I built Cremation Guide myself. I've worked in the UK funeral industry for over 20 years, and still do today — in customer-facing roles at a natural burial ground near Bolton, and alongside funeral directors across the North West, guiding families through exactly this process. I built this site after seeing, time and again, how much pressure people were put under during an already difficult time — too many choices, too many things being upsold, and rarely anyone willing to simply say "here's what you actually need." This tool exists to help you work that out for yourself, before you ever speak to a funeral director.
Why just a first name? I work in the industry day-to-day, and a surname could put my employer in an awkward spot even though this site is entirely independent of them. Everything else here is exactly as real and accountable either way — more on the About page.
It can tell you to buy nothing. Several of this tool's outcomes involve no purchase at all — pointing you to government help, to your bank, or simply to writing your wishes down. If that's the honest answer for your situation, that's the answer you'll get.
Independent guidance. I don't sell funeral services, accept commission from providers, or have any commercial arrangement that could influence my guidance. This site is entirely separate from my day-to-day work — it doesn't name or benefit any employer or provider.
Where the numbers come from. Every UK funeral director has been legally required, since 2021, to publish a Standardised Price List — a fixed-format document set by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), showing their headline price and an itemised breakdown. I use these published lists, alongside sources like GOV.UK and cremation cost comparison data, to check the figures on this site, and I revise the guidance whenever costs or regulations change.
Your privacy. Nothing you enter here is stored, tracked, or shared. I never ask for your name, email, or any contact details — this tool works completely anonymously, and it always will.
Last reviewed 4 July 2026. Got a question, or spotted something wrong? Email me: charlie@cremationguide.co.uk
Common questions
What's the difference between direct, simple, and full-service cremation?
Direct cremation has no ceremony and is usually the most affordable option. A simple attended cremation adds a short service with close family present. A full-service cremation funeral is closer to a traditional funeral, with a fuller ceremony for everyone who wants to attend. The right one depends on your circumstances — that's exactly what the tool above works out.
Do I have to buy anything at all?
Not always. Depending on your situation, the honest answer may be information rather than a purchase — writing your wishes down, applying for government help with funeral costs, or speaking to a bank or solicitor about the estate. This tool is built to tell you that when it's true.
What if I can't afford a funeral?
Help exists. If you receive certain benefits, the government's Funeral Expenses Payment can cover cremation fees plus a contribution to other costs. If no one can pay at all, the local council must arrange a public health funeral. The tool covers this path — answer honestly about money and it builds the official routes into your plan.
Is this tool really free, with nothing collected?
Yes. Nothing you answer is stored, tracked, or shared, and we never ask for your name or contact details. There's more on why in the section above.
Sources & references
Every figure and rule on this site is checked against the primary source below. If a source updates, the site gets updated — the "last reviewed" date at the top of this page tells you when that last happened.
- Funeral costs and the 86% gathering statistic — SunLife, Cost of Dying Report 2026. Direct cremation average £1,628; simple attended cremation £3,518; traditional attended cremation £4,200; 86% of direct cremation organisers held a gathering, wake or memorial. Based on interviews with 100 funeral directors and around 1,500 funeral organisers.
- Funeral Expenses Payment — GOV.UK: Get help with funeral costs. Covers cremation or burial fees plus up to £1,000 for other funeral expenses; claim within 6 months of the funeral, or in advance with a written estimate; usually recovered from the estate where one exists.
- Funeral Support Payment (Scotland) — mygov.scot.
- Registration deadlines and the medical examiner system — GOV.UK: Death certification reforms (in force 9 September 2024). In England and Wales, deaths are reviewed by a medical examiner or coroner; registration is within 5 days of the register office receiving the medical certificate; doctors' cremation forms and their fees no longer apply. Northern Ireland: 5 days from the death; Scotland: 8 days from the death.
- Standardised Price Lists — Competition and Markets Authority: Funerals Market Investigation Order 2021. All UK funeral directors must publish a Standardised Price List in a fixed format.
- Prepaid funeral plan regulation — Financial Conduct Authority: funeral plans. FCA regulation of prepaid funeral plan providers since 29 July 2022; the FCA register lists every authorised provider.
- Public health funerals and paying from the estate — MoneyHelper (government-backed): Help paying for a funeral. Councils' duty to arrange a public health funeral; funeral costs as a first charge on the estate, payable from the deceased's bank account before probate with a death certificate and invoice.
- Care fees and deprivation of assets — NHS: paying for your own care.
- Ashes return charges (£50–£150) — drawn from my direct experience in UK funeral care and checked against published provider price lists; this varies by provider, so always confirm the exact figure on the written quote.
Spotted a figure that's out of date? Email me: charlie@cremationguide.co.uk — I'd genuinely rather know.