Common questions, plainly answered.

A basic cremation through us is £1,499 all-inclusive. That covers a local funeral director, collection, the coffin, the cremation fee, all paperwork, and the return of ashes. There are no extras added later.

Nothing — they are different names for the same thing. The funeral industry tends to call it “direct cremation”; families searching online more often use “basic cremation” or “simple cremation”. All three describe an unattended cremation without a service.

A basic cremation is unattended — there is no service at the crematorium and no procession. Most families instead hold a separate gathering or memorial in their own time, often weeks or months later, somewhere meaningful to them.

We collect within one to two working days as standard. If your loved one is at a hospital or coroner's mortuary, collection is included in the £1,499 price. If they are at a home, hospice, or care/nursing home, a £250 Priority Care collection fee applies (because home collections are arranged on shorter notice) — total £1,749. Either way, this is explained when you call, never added retrospectively.

Most basic cremations are completed within one to three weeks of the call, depending on how quickly the death is registered, whether a coroner is involved, and the local crematorium’s availability. We keep you informed at each step.

Yes — we work with funeral directors across mainland England and Wales. See our locations page for the full list of cities and regions where we have local partners.

Ashes are returned to you in a simple urn or scatter tube — by hand at the funeral home, or by tracked courier to your home. You can scatter them, bury them, or keep them, and we’re happy to discuss options on the phone if you’d like ideas.

Yes. Your loved one is in the care of an accredited, independent funeral director throughout. They are washed, dressed if you wish, and looked after with the same dignity as in any funeral. The simplicity is in the arrangement — not the care.

When a coroner (or, in Scotland, a Procurator Fiscal) is involved, the timing depends on their investigation, not on us. We can still take care of everything once they release your loved one. See our coroner and Procurator Fiscal guide.

Absolutely — many families do. Because the cremation has already happened, you have weeks or months to plan a service, gathering, scattering, or celebration of life on your own terms. We’re not involved in that part, which means you’re free to organise it however you wish.

No. The price is the price. We don’t commission staff on add-ons because there are no add-ons. If you want a traditional funeral with a service we’ll tell you honestly — we’d rather you got the right arrangement than the wrong one through us.

In England and Wales, the Government’s Funeral Expenses Payment scheme can cover most of the cremation cost if you’re receiving certain benefits. In Scotland, the equivalent is Funeral Support Payment. Call us and we’ll explain whether you might qualify before you apply.

We don’t currently sell pre-paid plans directly through this site. We can talk you through the options on the phone, including reputable plan providers regulated by the FCA.

A local, independent funeral director near you takes care of every step. They are NAFD- or SAIF-accredited and use a local crematorium. We coordinate the arrangement and the paperwork, but the hands-on care is always local.

Call us on 0333 242 1405. We’re available 24 hours a day. The first call usually takes ten to fifteen minutes — no commitment, no payment, just a clear plan for the next steps.