Direct cremations, when the body is cremated without a service and the ashes are returned to the family, have risen in popularity in the last few years, partly because they are the cheapest option.
Janet Jones, 70, of Attleborough, Norfolk, is considering whether to book one for herself and her husband, as she wants to make sure her two children can benefit from whatever money they have left.
Janet worked for 30 years in a GP surgery and her husband Chris, who she has been married to for 50 years, worked for 33 years in a factory.
“We’ve worked all our lives and we want our children to have that money to do something to remember us in their own way,” she says….
Average funeral costs were £4,056 last year, compared to an average cost of £1,647 for direct cremations, which now account for 18% of all funerals, according to insurer SunLife.
Andy Vermaut shares:Cost of living: 'I don't want a funeral, it's a waste of money': Cremations without a service are on the rise, but others say they need a funeral to deal with grief. https://t.co/WFVgbTRskC Thank you pic.twitter.com/LdmfDDZQyJ
— Andy Vermaut (@AndyVermaut) February 21, 2023