It’s a sad fact that this time of year is incredibly busy for funeral directors here in Cardiff. As sickness sweeps the nation and freak weather events are more likely during the winter months, the UK sees death rates rise over this period every year.
There’s of course never a good time to lose someone you love, but with the financial pressures that the festive season brings – finding extra money to pay for a loved one’s funeral at this time of year can put a real strain on families.
Especially if your loved one’s death was unexpected or they didn’t make any provision for their funeral costs.
To take the stress away at this difficult time, we have carefully researched and developed partnerships with some trusted finance providers that might be able to help you. With their support, instead of having to make difficult decisions and funeral arrangements on a tight budget, you can concentrate on giving your loved one the send-off they deserve.
You may want to look into one of these two finance options, depending on your loved one’s circumstances…
1. If your loved one didn’t leave an estate, you can arrange a specialist funeral loan to help spread the cost of the funeral
Whilst there are lots of loan and finance companies out there, we’d recommend, Funeral Safe, a company that specialises in funerals loans. This means that when you ring Funeral Safe, the team you’ll speak to fully understand how everything works and will be compassionate and sensitive to the financial challenges you are experiencing. They offer:
- high-street bank interest rates,
- no repayment penalties, and
- complete control of the amount and term of the loan,
This means that by taking out a Funeral Safe loan, your family can spread the cost of the funeral, without breaking the bank.
How do you apply for the loan?
If taking out a funeral loan would help your family, we can arrange the application for you – and you’ll get a text message and email as soon as the application is successful. When you’re happy with all the details and you want to accept the agreement with Funeral Safe, all you need to do then is meet the loan re-payments. All the remunerations in connection with your loved one’s funeral will be taken care of by Coles and Funeral Safe on your behalf, so there’s really nothing more to worry about.
It’s a very straightforward process, and Funeral Safe also provides an online calculator so you can work out the loan amount and the loan period that’s most affordable to you. (Take a look here >)
2. If your loved one left an estate, a specialist probate manager could pay the funeral fees on your behalf.
To be able to take money out of and administer your loved one’s estate, you’ll first need apply for probate – the legal process whereby a will is proven, in a probate registry, and is accepted as the true last testament of the deceased. Trying to find the money to pay for a funeral, apply for probate, and deal with the management of your loved one’s estate, all whilst you’re grieving can be very overwhelming. It’s why many of the families we work with seek help with this time-intensive administrative task.
Whilst there are a number of probate management specialists we can recommend, if you’re struggling to find the money to pay for your loved one’s funeral, then Curtis Legal is most likely the right option for you. The difference between Curtis Legal and other probate management service providers is that they also offer financial support when you need it most – and you don’t need to pay an upfront fee for their help.
How do you appoint a probate manager?
If this finance option is of interest to you, we’ll refer you to Curtis Legal and arrange a convenient appointment for you – any time, day or night, 7 days a week. One of the friendly team from Curtis Legal will then visit you in the comfort of your own home at the agreed time and provide you with a free, no obligation quote for their one off, fixed, professional fee. Don’t worry – there’s nothing to pay upfront as this agreed fee will be drawn from the estate on completion of probate. You’ll know exactly the price you are committing to from the start – and all remunerations in connection with your loved one’s funeral, probate and the administration of the estate will be paid for by Curtis Legal. It really is that simple.
Having partnered with Curtis Legal for many years now, we know the families they work with value the clarity and transparency that they bring to the probate process – making it much less stressful for all concerned. It means you can concentrate on giving your loved one the send-off they deserve.
Could you be eligible for the Funeral Payment Fund?
If you personally are in receipt of certain benefits or taxes, it’s good to know that you might also be eligible for financial assistance in the form of a Funeral Expenses Payment from the UK government. How much you are eligible for depends on your circumstances, including any other money that’s available to cover the costs, such as an insurance policy or your loved one’s estate.
If you’re eligible, the Funeral Expenses Payment can help to pay for:
- Burial fees for a particular plot or cremation fees, including the cost of the doctor’s certificate,
- Travel to the funeral or funeral transport, including the cost of moving your loved one within the UK (if being moved more than 50 miles),
- Death certificates or other documents and funeral directors’ professional fees, and/or
- A coffin or casket and funeral flowers.
The money can be paid directly to Coles as the arranger of the funeral. Or you can even seek to claim back money you have already paid out. (For more information about how to check your eligibility and/or make a claim, visit the UK Government’s website: www.gov.uk).
As a responsible funeral provider, here at Coles, we are committed to offering fair-priced funerals for all, and giving you as much support as possible when you lose a loved one. It’s why we display all our prices clearly on our website, so you can see, up front, the costs associated with the arrangements you would like to make. And to really take the financial pressure off, we’ll happily make the relevant referral to one of our trusted finance providers.