What prepaid funeral plans do Pure Cremation offer?
As you may have seen in the regularly featured Pure cremation TV advert, the company offers two forms of direct cremation service. A simple cremation funeral for someone who has just died and a prepaid direct cremation plan for those wanting to plan for the future.
Their service includes a dignified simple fuss free cremation with no one in attendance. However, for an additional charge, up to 12 people can attend a 20 minute committal held at their Charlton Park Crematorium in Hampshire.
Here’s how each option works:
Pure Cremation for someone who has just died
Prices for arranging a direct cremation for someone who has just died start from £1,295. This includes collection within working hours from any hospital or coroner’s mortuary in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (includes Isle of Wight and Isle of Sky), cremation fees and doctor’s fees if applicable; a solid pine eco coffin and either the scattering of ashes in a garden of remembrance or return of ashes by hand delivery if preferred.
Additional costs of £250 are incurred when collection is from home, a nursing home or hospice any time of the day or night.
Pure Cremation for those looking to plan ahead
The Pure Cremation funeral plan is £1,795 and includes all the services required for a simple unattended direct cremation.
This includes collection anywhere throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (includes Isle of Wight and Isle of Sky) 24 hours a day; cremation fees and doctor’s fees if they apply, a solid pine eco coffin and the ashes either scattered on the garden of remembrance or hand delivered to the family.
What are the pros and cons of a Pure Cremation funeral plan?
In addition to looking at the advantages of a prepaid funeral, it’s worth reviewing the possible downsides too. Here we look at the pros and cons of a Pure Cremation funeral plan to help you consider if it’s the best direct cremation funeral plan for you.
Pure Cremation funeral plan pros
- Collection 24 hours a day from anywhere in the UK
- Guarantees all the services required for a direct cremation
- Includes doctor’s fees if required
- Hand delivery of the ashes
- Solid pine eco-coffin
- They take care of everything themselves
- Option to pay for up to 12 people to attend the committal at the time of need
- Authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority
- With instalment direct cremation plans you are covered for the services included in the plan once you have completed your first 24 monthly premiums. As long as your payments are up to date, your services as listed will be provided with nothing more for your family to pay. (You are covered immediately if death is as a result of an accident).
Pure Cremation funeral plan cons
- Your services are only guaranteed once you have paid the full amount or at least 24 monthly instalments
- With instalments plans, if you die within the first 24 months your services would not be guaranteed (unless as a result of an accident). Instead, your estate can either receive a full refund or pay the difference so Pure Cremation can provide their direct cremation services
- Instalments on trust based plans of 12 months or more are subject to a charge of 4% each year
- The cremation takes place in one of 3 crematoriums located in Andover, Glasgow and Ireland so may not be local to you
- Doesn’t include a funeral service
- Your plan is at risk if you don’t keep up with the payments and there is no cash in value
- With the ‘over 50 life insurance’ based plan, depending on how long you live, there is a chance you could pay more in premiums than the cost of the funeral service.
Pure Cremation reviews by their customers
Pure Cremation direct funeral plans are reviewed by customers on the independent review website Trustpilot. They have a rating of 4.9 out of 5 and 92% of reviews class their service as excellent.
Pure Cremation reviews by the industry
In addition to customer reviews, Pure Cremation funeral plans have been rated as 4 star by research and ratings agency Fairer Finance.
What happens to my money with Pure Cremation direct cremation funeral plans?
Pure Cremation funeral plans are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
When you pay for a Pure Cremation trust based funeral plan your money is ethically invested in a trust fund, which is a completely separate entity. Therefore, if anything were to happen to Pure Cremation, the trust fund remains intact and will either use another company to carry out your direct cremation services, refund the money paid in minus the admin fee or pay the current value of the plan to a funeral director chosen by your family.
The money can only be removed from the trust fund if you cancel the direct funeral plan or on death – in which instance a copy of the death certificate would be required.
If you choose a ‘over 50 life insurance’ based plan, your money is placed in a whole of life insurance policy with Scottish Friendly Assurance Society, who are also authorised by the FCA.