Age UK have a wide range of excellent factsheets on their website. We regularly highlight examples and this time we are looking at their factsheet on planning for your own funeral.
This factsheet is for anyone who wants to think ahead and make plans
for their funeral. Reasons for doing this include:
- discussion about funeral costs arises when you write or revise your will
- you want to know more about funeral plans
- you want to ease the burden on your family, at a difficult time, by
discussing your wishes and the type of funeral you would like, by finding
out about likely costs and exploring ways to pay for a funeral - to give your family the comfort of knowing they carried out your final
wishes just as you wanted - you have no close relatives and want to guide and help those who will
make the arrangements - you have a life-limiting illness and it feels the right thing to do
- you are thinking about organ donation.
2 Arranging a funeral – When thinking about a funeral there are many things to consider:
- what is the average cost of a funeral these days?
- what are basic costs and what are add-ons that increase the cost?
- how much do you want to spend or how much can you afford?
- how are you going to pay for it?
- do you want to involve a funeral director?
- do you want to be buried or cremated and have a clergy-led service?
- do you want an environmentally friendly coffin or burial?
- is there a uniform or particular clothes you would like to be buried in?
- have you agreed to or would you like to donate organs?