You can arrange a funeral with or without the help of a funeral director, although many people do choose to use one. You can personalise the funeral arrangements as much as you wish and in some cases the deceased may already have planned what sort of funeral they would like.
When choosing a funeral director, you should check whether they belong to a trade association such as the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD)or the Society of Allied & Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF). Funerals can be expensive and you should seek quotes from more than one company in order to get a competitive price.
Your Funeral Choice is a website that can help you to find sensibly priced funeral directors in your area. Quaker Social Action (QSA) runs the Fair Funerals campaign which aims to tackle the causes of funeral poverty and can help in various ways, such as organising a funeral and finding a fair funeral director in your area. QSA also runs the Down to Earth project which directly supports people on low incomes that are struggling with the cost of a funeral.
Please be aware that if you arrange a funeral then you will be responsible for paying the bill and you must ensure that you have the necessary funds available. If you are in receipt of benefits then you may be able to apply for a Social Fund Funeral Payment. Further information regarding this can be found by visiting the Funeral Payments page of the Gov.UK website.
There are lots of organisations that can help you with various aspects of arranging a funeral and what to do when someone dies, as well as advice on where you can find further support and guidance at such a difficult time.
Gov.UK - What to do when someone dies
Stillbirth & Neonatal Death Charity (SANDS)
Our downloadable Bereavement Services brochure also has further information about our cemeteries and the services we provide.
Please contact us for more information by email bereavementservices@sstaffs.gov.uk or on 01902 696111.