Paying for a funeral

A funeral can cost thousands of pounds, so it's important to know how much things cost and how you will pay for it. Try not to feel pressured into paying for a funeral you cannot afford. It's important you do not arrange a funeral that will be hard to pay for later.

The average cost of a basic attended funeral in the UK is £4,285*. This includes the cremation or burial, funeral director fees, a service, doctor fees, a service, a mid-range coffin, and minister or celebrant.

Burials are usually more expensive than cremations, although you do not have to arrange and pay for a headstone immediately. People normally wait at least six months after the burial to allow time for the ground to settle.

*Some of the costs on this page are based on the 2025 Cost of Dying report from Sunlife, an insurance and funeral plan company. Marie Curie information is not affiliated with SunLife.

A direct burial or cremation is like a funeral but without a service. They are less expensive than an attended funeral.

Funeral costs vary depending on where you live in the UK . The amounts below are approximate, average costs across the UK. They are based on a 2025 report and actual costs may vary*.

**The direct burial cost does not include the cost of a burial plot.

Funeral director fees make up a large amount of the funeral costs. This may include transportation and care of the deceased, a limousine, a coffin, and a hearse. The average cost of funeral director fees in the UK in 2024 was £3,108***.

Other costs might include:

These costs will vary depending on the provider and what you are looking for.

***This figure is from a 2024 survey by Legal and General, a UK insurance provider. Marie Curie information is not affiliated with Legal and General.

The average cost of a send-off in the UK is £2,861*. This is separate to the basic funeral and direct funeral costs. Send-off costs include:

The most expensive item is usually the memorial service. Depending on the venue and whether you use a catering company, the next most expensive item is likely to be the wake.

The person who died may have had a pre-paid funeral plan, insurance or other money set aside. You can check in the funeral plan, or on the insurance schedule, what it covers. Some plans do not cover certain items such as flowers, catering for the wake (the reception after the service) or a headstone.

You may decide to organise a direct burial or cremation (see above). This is less expensive and does not include a service.

Or, you may decide to look at options for cutting back on other costs. This might include looking at different funeral directors, or not having a car or flowers.

You can explain to the funeral director that you’d like a simple funeral and to keep costs down.

There are good reasons why you might decide to have a less expensive funeral.

It could be because you're worried about being able to pay for the funeral. But it could also be because you think there are more important ways of spending the money. Or you think that some aspects of a funeral are more expensive than they should be. So, you want to avoid paying more for some things (like flowers, for example) because they're priced as funeral flowers.

Choosing to have a budget funeral is not a reflection of the person who died or of how important they were to you.

Most large banks and building societies will release funds from the person's account to pay the funeral bill, if you show or send them a certified copy of the death certificate. Some banks and building societies will have bereavement staff to support you with this.

It's important to make sure that the person had enough money to pay for it. This is because funeral costs usually come out of the person's estate and need to be paid after some debts and bequests (gifts) are sorted out.

The person's estate is any property, money or possessions. If there is not enough money to cover the costs, the organiser of the funeral must meet the difference.

Unless a person's estate is quite small, you cannot access the funds from it until probate (England, Wales, Northern Ireland) or confirmation of the estate (Scotland) is granted. This can take several months.

If you're organising a funeral and you're on benefits, you may be entitled to claim a Funeral Expenses Payment (or Funeral Support Payment in Scotland) from the government towards the funeral costs. You must apply within six months of the funeral.

Funeral Expenses Payments are different to Bereavement Support Payments which can also be used to help with funeral costs.

Some funeral directors ask for a deposit to cover third-party costs payable in advance of the funeral (disbursements). The final bill is usually sent soon after the funeral. A funeral director may agree to accept payment by instalments, but you should check with them first.

If it’s not possible to pay for the funeral from the estate of the person who died, family and friends are usually expected to pay for it.

Read more about the different ways that you may be able to get help with funeral costs.

And Quaker Social Action has a funeral costs helpline on 020 8983 5055, as well as more information.

Other things to consider include:

If you're struggling to pay for the funeral or your only source of money is a Funeral Expenses Payment, tell the funeral director before you commit to any arrangements. They can advise you.

If someone dies without enough money for a funeral and there is no one to take responsibility who is able to pay for it, the local authority must bury or cremate them. It's called a 'public health funeral' and includes a coffin and a funeral director to transport them to the crematorium or cemetery.