Losing a family member or close friend can be one of the hardest and emotionally challenges things that anyone faces during their lifetime. And making funeral arrangements at a time of sadness and grief can often make the situation 10 times worse. In the best-case scenario, there will be a pot of money set aside that is solely there to pay for the funeral. But, unfortunately, this isn’t always the case.
The average cost of funeral service in the UK now stands almost £4500. However, this cost typically depends on the funeral’s location, the type of funeral service, the funeral director’s fees, and any additional costs for extras such as food, flowers, music or personal tributes.
So, the question is, what exactly can you do when there just isn’t any money to pay for your loved one’s funeral arrangements?
The Different Ways to Pay For Funeral Arrangements
Research a lower cost funeral option. A funeral service doesn’t necessarily have to be expensive in order to be meaningful. There are many different affordable options for you to choose from. For example, you could choose a direct cremation and receive your loved one’s ashes, then hold a memorial service at a later date to celebrate their life.
Start a crowdfunding campaign. Crowdfunding has become an incredibly popular way for people to raise money for their loved one’s funeral. This technique of raise funds can be very effective if you had a wide network of friends and family who would be willing to financially contribute to the funeral of those who have passed away. There are many different platforms that you can use to crowdfund online. The popular ones are GoFundMe, CrowdFunder and CrowdCube.
Ask Your family and friends for financial help. Don’t be embarrassed or afraid to ask your close friends and family for financial help if you are finding it hard to source the money for a funeral. The conversations that you have won’t be easy, but you may find that more of your friends and family are willing to help than you first expected.
Check for life insurance. It’s not unusual for people to have life insurance policies in place when they pass away that nobody knew about. You might not be able to find any reference to this life insurance policy by looking through their personal information or banking details, but it doesn’t mean that it isn’t there. Their life insurance policy may have been covered by their employer so make sure that you cover all grounds as this will help pay for their funeral service.
Speak with a funeral home. There are many funeral homes that have programmes or schemes in place to help those who are financially struggling with access to limited resources. They may also have connections with other organisations that may be able to assist those who are looking for financial help.
Use your loved one’s estate. If the person who has passed away has an estate, then you should use that to pay for their funeral. This estate can include any property or assets as well as any financial savings they may have left behind. However, this doesn’t include any personal items that they may have left to close family or friends in their will.
Find enough money to pay for a funeral can be difficult when you don’t have access to enough resources. However, it so important to reach out for help if you need it and don’t let it overwhelm you. Losing someone can be hard enough as it is without the other aspects of their death putting a burden on you. Whether you decide to organise your loved one’s funeral as a group with family and friends or call your local church for help, just be aware that you do not have to go through this time on your own.
Leave a Reply