Standards and accountability
Editorial policy
Every page is made to help a bereaved person understand their options without sales pressure. This policy explains who is responsible, what counts as evidence and what happens before information is published.
Editorial responsibility
Charlie writes, reviews and approves the site’s substantive public guidance. He uses only his first name publicly to protect the privacy of his employer and the families he works with; the reason and his relevant experience are explained on the author page. No funeral provider can buy coverage, a ranking or a recommendation.
How an article is made
1. Define the question
Start with a real decision a family may need to make, including which UK nation the answer applies to.
2. Gather evidence
Prefer current law, government, NHS, regulator, council and crematorium documents over summaries.
3. Check the wording
Separate fact from judgement, explain limitations and avoid promises about eligibility, price or outcome.
4. Review and date
Check links, figures, country scope and practical steps, then publish a visible review date.
Source hierarchy
- Primary authority: legislation, government departments, NHS bodies and statutory regulators.
- Direct operational evidence: council and crematorium tariff PDFs, official service pages and operator documents.
- High-quality independent evidence: established research or consumer organisations, used where primary evidence cannot answer the whole question.
- Secondary sources: used only for context, with limitations made clear. They do not override primary evidence.
Important claims should link to the evidence close to the claim. If reliable evidence conflicts, the page explains the disagreement rather than choosing the tidier number.
How crematorium fees are checked
A fee is taken from an official tariff or service page, tied to the relevant service type and date, and retained with its source URL and verification date. It is not treated as a quote. Fees can change between checks, so families are always asked to confirm the current total with the crematorium or funeral provider. The detailed process is in How I check my facts.
AI and automation
Software and AI may assist with structure, copy-editing, code, repetitive data checks and identifying possible inconsistencies. AI is never treated as a source and does not publish autonomously. Charlie remains responsible for publication and checks factual claims against named evidence. Personal stories, professional credentials and first-hand experience are not invented or inferred by AI.
Sensitive subjects and UK differences
Benefits, legal duties, registration processes and funeral rules can differ across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Sensitive pages state their geographic scope, link to the relevant official authority and distinguish general information from professional advice. When a reader’s circumstances could change the answer, the page tells them where to confirm it.
Reviews, independence and conflicts
High-risk guidance is scheduled for at least quarterly review; policy pages at least every six months; fee sources are monitored on a rolling basis. Reviews may happen earlier after a rule, fee or official process changes. Cremation Guide currently accepts no provider commission and has no paid ranking placements. Any future material conflict would be disclosed on the affected page before publication.
Corrections
Possible errors are checked against the best available source. Material factual changes receive a dated entry; routine factual refreshes update the page’s review information; purely presentational changes are not presented as factual corrections. See the full corrections policy and public update history.