The Costs Of Dying: All That You Need To Know

It is so important to know that you can cover the costs associated with dying: the peace of mind that this brings is worth it in and of itself. This compact, clear guide explains what the costs of dying are and how you can meet them, while providing a good send off.

What are the costs associated with dying?

The key costs include purchasing a burial plot, paying for a funeral service and paying to register a death. Costs can mount up very quickly, before you even add any discretionary services such as funeral flowers and hiring a venue and catering for a wake. Getting a medical professional to register a death will usually cost around £160, for example, whilst a standard funeral service can cost £5000. In addition, if you have died in debt, your loved ones may have to take on these debts themselves. And, of course, as many of us need medical care, or care in a residential care home, leading up to our deaths, this will usually need to be paid for as well.

How can I meet these costs?

One thing that you can do right now is to take out life insurance. Life insurance is so inexpensive to pay for each month, and yet it provides your next of kin with a valuable safety net in the event of your death. You can also pre pay for your funeral yourself, so that your loved ones do not need to meet the costs. If you might find it hard to pay out a lump sum for your funeral, one great idea is to opt for a funeral plan, which enables you to pay off the cost of the funeral in a series of smaller instalments. Even if you die unexpectedly before the payments are completed, you will at least have part paid for the funeral and helped to reduce the burden on loved ones.

Try something innovative

In recent years, many 50-80 year olds are thinking of innovative ways to reduce the costs of a funeral. One such method is to be buried on your own land (this is sometimes referred to as a ‘back garden burial‘). In this way, you do not need to purchase a burial plot (which can cost thousands of pounds). There are a few legal restrictions to comply with in this situation (especially if you have water running through your garden), however it is actually quite a smooth process.

Whichever option you choose, make sure you plan in advance so you have the send off you’ve always wanted, whether that happens to be a cremation and home burial, or a big funeral.. Planning ahead will take the financial and organisational burden away from family members and loved ones, as well as having less to think about while going through the grieving process.