Pure Cremation Review

  • 1 simple direct cremation plan
  • Prices start from £1,795
  • Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority
  • Instalments with full cover after 24 months

Pure Cremation funeral plans are provided by on the of the UK’s leading direct cremation providers. They specialise in direct cremation and are the only independent company to serve the whole of the UK.

pure cremation

In this review: To help you compare and review plans, we look at how Pure Cremation direct funeral services work, what's included in the plan, the pros an cons and how your money is held.

Once you have read the Pure Cremation review, you can see how they compare with other FCA regulated plan providers or read the rest of our prepaid funeral plan reviews.

Checked & updated 9th January 2024 - I have reviewed Pure Cremation to help you understand more about the company and the services they offer. Here’s what I found:

Distinct Cremation AdWho is Pure Cremation

Owned and managed by funeral directors with over 30 years experience, Pure Cremation was launched in 2015 as the requirement for simple direct cremations without an actual funeral service grew.

Based in Andover, Pure Cremation offer their direct cremation services throughout mainland England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland (includes the Isle of Wight and Isle of Skye). They have their own purpose built crematorium in Andover to service their England and Wales customers and work in partnership with 2 other crematoriums for cremations in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Owning their own crematorium means Pure Cremation handle every part of the service offered; from collection by one of the experienced fleet of drivers to hand delivery of ashes. They use solid pine eco coffins and biodegradable urns for ashes as part of the management of their carbon footprint.

In addition to Pure Cremation funeral planning, as part of the funeral Pure Cremation Group, they also offer financial and legal services through their new brand Pure Life Financial Services.

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.

How can I pay for my Pure Cremation funeral plan?

The way you pay for a Pure Cremation direct cremation funeral plan will depend on whether you choose a ‘trust’ based plan or an ‘over 50 life insurance’ based plan. Here’s how each payment option works:

The Pure Cremation trust based plan

With Pure Cremation’s trust based plan, your money is held securely in an independently managed trust fund.

You can pay in one go or over 6 months which is the cheapest option as you don’t incur any additional fees.

If you prefer to spread your payments over a longer period, you can pay monthly over 1,2,3,4 or 5 years. You are covered for your services after an initial period of 24 months and all instalment options incur an annual charge of 4%.

The Pure Cremation over 50 life insurance based plan

With Pure Cremation’s over 50s direct cremation plan, your money is placed securely in whole of life insurance policy.

This payment option has low monthly premiums based on age and is available for anyone between the ages of 50 to 75. Your premiums are fixed and payable either for life or until you are 90 and you are covered for your services as soon as you have made 24 monthly payments.

  • Trust based direct cremation plan
    • With Pure Cremation’s trust based plan, your money is held securely in an independently managed trust fund.

      You can pay in one go or over 6 months which is the cheapest option as you don’t incur any additional fees. However if prefer to spread your payments over a longer period, you can pay monthly over 1,2,3,4 or 5 years.

      Payment period Monthly instalment Total payment
      6 months £299.16 £1,795
      12 months £155.57 £1,867
      24 months £80.69 £1,941
      36 months £56.09 £2,019
      48 months £43.75 £2,100
      60  months £36.40 £2,184
  • Over 50's direct cremation plan
    • With Pure Cremation’s over 50s direct cremation plan, your money placed securely in whole of life insurance policy.

      This payment option has low monthly premiums based on age and is available for anyone between the ages of 50 to 74. Your premiums are payable either for life or until you are 90 and you are covered for your services as soon as you have made 24 monthly payments.

      Monthly payments ranges from £10.27 a month for a 50 year old to £21.15 for a 74 year old. You can get a personalised quote from the Pure CRemation website by clicking here.

pure cremation tv ad

Am I eligible for a Pure Cremation funeral plan?

To be eligible for a Pure Cremation prepaid plan, you must be at least 18 years old. Over 50 life insurance plans are only available to those between the ages of 50 to 75.

Can I cancel my plan?

You can cancel your plan within the first 30 days and receive a full refund. If you cancel after this period, you will receive a refund minus the £350 cancelation fee.

On the ‘over 50 life insurance’ based plan, if you cancel within the first 24 months, the premiums you have paid to date would be fully refunded. If you cancel after this period, no money would be refunded.

What happens to my funeral plan if I move home?

As Pure Cremation collect anywhere throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (includes Isle of Wight and Isle of Sky), as long as you are within this area your services can be provided. So, if you move, just contact Pure Cremation to advise them of your new address.

What should I do now?

My review of Pure Cremation is designed to help you compare plans and find the best option for you. I would always recommend that you review all of your options to ensure you’re getting the best deal that suits your budget and needs.

Now you have read the Pure Cremation funeral plan review, you may want to:

  • Compare FCA regulated plans
  • See how other companies compare with our funeral plan reviews
  • Find out more about simple funeral plans with our guide to direct cremation
Compare direct cremation providers

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