Direct Cremation Plan Offers Families A Way To Take Control Of Another Rising Cost

From young families trying to make every pound stretch further to people approaching retirement determined not to leave their children with a funeral bill, more consumers are looking ahead and taking control of expenses they know their families will eventually face.

For households already under pressure from rising living costs, mortgages, rents, energy bills and everyday expenses, the prospect of another major financial commitment at an already difficult time is increasingly focusing minds.

And it is not just those approaching retirement who are thinking about funeral costs.

Younger working people and families are also looking at ways to protect themselves - and their children - from having to find a potentially substantial lump sum at one of the most difficult times imaginable.

Celebration of Life, one of the UK's leading providers of direct cremation, is reporting increased interest from consumers wanting to understand how a direct cremation plan could help them plan ahead and secure the cost of their funeral.

The company says enquiries are coming from people at very different stages of life, but with a common motivation: to take control of an expense that would otherwise be left for their family to deal with.

Peter Shuttleworth, Head of Operations at Celebration of Life, said: "There is a real shift in the way people are thinking about financial protection.

"It is not just someone approaching retirement who wants to make sure their affairs are in order. We are also hearing from younger working people and families who are looking at everything they can do now to protect their finances in the future.

"For many, it is about the same principle as putting money aside for an unexpected bill or reviewing household insurance. Nobody wants to think about needing it, but having a plan in place means their family is not left trying to find the money when the time comes.

"And for someone who could potentially live for another 30, 40 or 50 years, there is a very real attraction in securing today's funeral costs rather than leaving the expense - and the uncertainty around it - to their children."

Direct cremation is generally a simpler alternative to a traditional funeral, without many of the costs associated with a conventional attended service.

Celebration of Life believes this is helping to broaden the appeal of funeral planning beyond the traditional market for people approaching later life.

Peter added: "We regularly speak to people who are taking a much wider look at their finances. They are changing energy suppliers, shopping around for insurance, budgeting more carefully and thinking about what they can do today to protect themselves from costs further down the line.

"A funeral plan can form part of that same conversation. It gives people the opportunity to make a decision for themselves, rather than leaving their family to make decisions - and find the money - at an incredibly difficult time.

"Ultimately, it is about taking one more financial uncertainty off the table."

Funeral plans are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, which is directly accountable to the Treasury and Parliament.

For further information, visit Celebration of Life or call 0800 691 1345.

ENDS