pre planning a buriel

pearl123

Ok this is a bit of a gloomy one. But it is money saving.
My Mum lives in East Sussex but she wants to be buried in Wales. (She Welsh but has live away from wales most of her life. )

Anyway we are trying to plan ahead. If she gets a pre-payed plan with say Co-op or Age concern it appears that their plans cover cremation but about £1500 put aside for funneral costs. Would one of these plans be still worth taking out?

My mum would have to be transported accross the country so there would be costs there. (These plans just cover the local area) And would it require two differant funeral directors one here and one in Wales? Does anyone know?

Also I release that a plot can be brought in advance.
I'm just trying to work out whether it is worth buying a prepaid plan in advance considering her funneral would not be completely straight forward and the fact it's a buriel?

Anyone got any advice? Am I just making it all too complex?

daska

I'd ring several of the local undertakers and get their advice. And then do the same with the Welsh ones. Make sure you ring both chains and independents.

Amanda65

Does your Mum actually wanted to be buried rather than cremated? My grandmother was staying with my Aunt in Essex for the last couple of months of her life and then passed away there in a local hsopice, however she had been born and bred in Surrey, and spent all 96 years of her life in about a 3 mile radius other than at the end and we knew this is where she would want her final resting place to be.

As she was being cremated, this was carried out with a service in Essex and her ashes were then returned to Surrey and buried in a plot at our local church. This cut down greatly on the costs of transporting a body cross county (never knew there was a charge for this!). It obviously wouldn't work if your Mum wants a burial.

Looby_-_Lou_2

I would confirm that she can be buried where she wants to be. The cemetery I manage as part of my job only allows residents to be buried there (there is allowance for those who have gone into homes etc). So yes buying a plot in advance is a good idea.

pearl123

Yes... mum say she wants to be buried. I'm would prefer she wasn't buried, due to the extra costs. One of the reasons I want to get it sorted out in advance is to present to her the reality of her decision.

Ie: the costs from having a buriel. Moving the body a distance. And fact that it will probably take two funeral directors etc.

She's not a wealthy women. And she does not think about the reality of her request. However, if she wants it I will try and do it.

I think there should be a dedicated forum on here for just deaths/funerals/ probate etc. I'm stating the obvious but its a money saving site, yet many funeral directors can try to bump up their profits from grieving relatives. I'm going to ask to see if a dedicated forum can be done.

retired2011

A friend had that problem with her mother, wanted an expensive burial in a country abroad but there was no money to pay for transporting the body, etc.

She ended up getting her cremated at the local crematorium and the next time she went abroad to that country she took the ashes with her and scattered them where her mother had wanted buried.

As she said, mother will never know.

Fire_Fox

Where does she want the service to be held? That does not have to be where the body is buried.

pearl123

The service would be probably be held in East Sussex, but it could also be held in Wales.
I think it all a bit of a phaff.... when your dead..your dead, but I will try and get some facts and figures for her.

stef240377

Make sure if you go ahead with this route you read all the small print!

My Uncle was executor of my great Aunts will. She purchased a prepaid funeral over 20 years ago thinking that once that was paid everything was covered. Then last year when she past away my uncle was left to deal with her remaining finances and any other outstanding issues. When it came to the funeral arrangements it turned out that as she had booked to be buried in the same plot as her husband there were extra charges for re-opening the plot, the actual ceremony costs and some other bits and pieces that ended up totalling almost £1000 on top of the pre-paid plan. All though enough money was left in the estate to cover the costs it was quite upsetting to see that for the price she paid all those years ago she had only really paid for the coffin.

pearl123

stef240377 wrote: »

Make sure if you go ahead with this route you read all the small print!
My Uncle was executor of my great Aunts will. She purchased a prepaid funeral over 20 years ago thinking that once that was paid everything was covered.

In principle I like the idea of pre-paid funeral plans but even the briefest look at what on offer from co-op and age concern made me realise that their plans seem to centre around cremations. Some plans give you £1,500 towards a burriel - not alot of money. Makes me wonder if the plans are worth it, especially in my Mums case where there would be probably two funeral homes and a transport costs.

I just don't want to have to get saddled with large extra costs. Nor the last minute stress of working out how it should be all done.

Pee

The best idea is for you to get one quote, for starters, just to give your mum some idea of what is involved here.

I may be wrong but I was told by someone who should have known that if you transport a body in a hearse, there is a charge for crossing each county border - sort of an admin fee.

Once you have one quote, you can look at others, but I expect the cost will be so scary that she will consider the cremation option and have you take her ashes somewhere nice in Wales, which is easy and cheap for you to arrange.

On the other hand some people really want to be buried (or cremated) and visibly pale at any discussion of the alternative.

Asking for a quote from any undertakers shouldn't be a problem. They will talk you through it and give you some idea of costs, so that your mum can consider her alternatives.