Category: Funerals

Death, Pension Credit and the £800 prepaid funeral that could end up costing thousands! Although you might think that covering some of the cost of your final expense might be helpful to your family, if you are receiving benefits doing so may impact your eligibility for certain means-tested benefits. If you are receiving means-tested benefits, such as Pension Credit or Income Support, you will have a maximum allowable capital limit that you must not exceed.  A funeral plan might be assessed as “notional” money and if the cost of the funeral…

It’s a simple yet powerful tool that can help you keep track of your funeral planning tasks, prioritize them and stay organized and there are many benefits to using a handwritten checklist. When you write down your tasks by hand, you’re able to focus better and avoid distractions. This helps you prioritize the tasks effectively. Writing also engages your memory, which means you’ll remember your plans better. Seeing your tasks written down on paper can be a huge motivator and gives you a sense of accomplishment as you check them off.…

Green Green Grass” stems from a trip George Ezra took to the Caribbean island of St. Lucia with a couple of close friends at Christmas 2018. As they sat at a beach bar, drinking homemade rum punch and Piton (the local lager), loud music kicked in three streets back from the sea. Half an hour later, Ezra went to check out the source of the music. He discovered a street party with three different sound systems and people cooking and dancing. He asked a girl working in a shop what was…

The most common flowers that are appropriate for a funeral are carnations, lilies, roses, tulips, and orchids. These are specific flowers for funerals because they symbolize different meanings. As roses come in different colours, they also carry different meanings. White roses are common in funerals as they show hope, purity, and heaven. Red roses express courage as well as love. White tulips represent heaven and eternity, where red tulips are for expressing deep love. Orchids usually represent eternal love, and that is the reason why orchids are common at funerals. A…

This popped up on in my inbox and such an amazing resource we had to share it! It’s informative, full of graphics and a great read…go on, some weekend reading. Thanks to Sunlife for creating such an amazing document. SunLife’s annual Cost of Dying Report for 2022 shows that the average cost of a UK funeral in 2021 was £4,056, a decrease of £128 since 2020. SunLife say this fall is likely to be a result of the government restrictions seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the report, the pandemic…

Thank you CLKHair of Reading Berkshire. Apparently it’s not unusual to receive urgent requests for appointments, from the bereaved, when there is a funeral to attend. While the clothing you wear at the funeral is important to show respect to the family and the person who died, paying attention to your hair is just as important.  As is the case at any formal event, your overall look is what will determine whether you are appropriately dressed. So, making sure that your hair is in keeping with the rest of your outfit is…

The Power of a Word It’s a curious thing about cremated remains, that they have become known as ashes. No doubt this is a nod to the cremation process, but it is not a helpful word to use. Cremated remains are not ash, they are sterilised bone, more like fossils. When we think of them in this more honest, but less pleasant way, their impact on the soil, water or plants and wildlife seems so obvious. When we bury or scatter cremated remains, they have a lasting impact on that area,…

Crying can help us understand and accept the causes of sadness, like the death of a loved one. Psychologists view crying as a stress and grief relief tool. Crying is also a natural way for your body to work through emotions that might be difficult to cope with otherwise. Crying is good and can be beneficial to both mind and body. A study found that crying provides soothing effects and releases feel-good hormones. It showed that crying may also boost your mood, thanks to an emotional release and decreased sense of…

When someone dies you need to decide to use a Funeral Director or you can organise the relevant information yourself. If you can choose a Funeral Director you need to choose someone you feel comfortable with. This post will help you to understand some of the things to consider. It’s also important to think about the associated costs of a funeral, and make sure you are able to pay and how you plan to pay for the relevant services. Getting started: What does a Funeral Director do? If you choose to…