Low Cost Funeral Options: Ways to Cut Costs and Get Help

In short: A low cost funeral usually means a simple funeral or a direct cremation with no attended service, and you can choose the type of funeral to suit your budget. Funeral directors must publish a price list, so compare at least two, and if you receive certain benefits the Funeral Expenses Payment may help (information as at November 2026, and it differs in Scotland and Northern Ireland).

What a low cost funeral can look like

A low cost funeral is usually a simpler version of the funeral you would otherwise arrange, and Citizens Advice says you can usually choose a funeral type based on your budget. It describes a simple funeral as typically including a plain, lined coffin, transport of the body, care of the body until the funeral without embalming, a hearse and coffin bearers.

The main routes are:

• A direct cremation or direct burial, with no attended service at the crematorium or cemetery.
• A simple funeral with a funeral director, with fewer extras.
• A funeral you arrange yourself, without a funeral director.

We have not quoted national average prices here, because the figures we found come from commercial surveys, and we found no official average. As at November 2026 the best approach is to ask local providers for written prices. Our guide to the average funeral cost in the UK explains where the money goes. Choosing a low cost funeral does not mean choosing a lesser one, since families can add a memorial gathering or ceremony at home afterwards at little cost.

Direct cremation as a low cost funeral

A direct cremation is a cremation without an attended funeral service, and it is often chosen as a lower cost route. Which? says direct plans usually cover the cremation, transport to the crematorium and a basic coffin, with no attended service. MoneyHelper lists choosing a direct cremation, or arranging a ceremony at home, among ways to reduce costs.

Things to check with any provider of a low cost funeral by direct cremation:

• What the price includes, such as collection, the coffin, the doctor’s certificate and crematorium fees.
• Extra charges. Which? says direct cremation can carry charges for returning ashes, out of hours or certain collections, and large coffins.
• Whether family can attend or see the person beforehand.
• When the ashes will be returned and how.

Our guide to direct cremation covers this in detail. Some families hold a separate memorial later, which is not part of the direct cremation price.

Simple funerals and other ways to reduce costs

Several choices can lower the bill without changing the dignity of the day. MoneyHelper suggests the following, and you can use as many as suit you:

• Choose a council-run crematorium, which MoneyHelper says is usually cheaper.
• Book an early morning or weekday slot.
• Hold a home wake, with family and friends bringing food.
• Consider a shroud instead of a coffin.
• Ask for charity donations in place of flowers.
• Skip embalming, a hearse or a limousine.
• Consider a natural burial ground, which MoneyHelper says is often cheaper than a traditional cemetery. Our guide to burial and grave plot costs explains the fees to ask about.

You can also arrange the funeral without a funeral director. GOV.UK says you can pay a funeral director to arrange it or do it yourself, and that your local council can advise on burial plots, crematorium services and funeral costs. Citizens Advice says the Natural Death Centre gives free advice on arranging a funeral without a director. This takes time and organisation at a hard moment, so think about whether you have support from family or friends.

Comparing prices for a low cost funeral

Funeral directors are legally required to publish a price list for the standard set of products and services they offer, so you can compare before you commit. GOV.UK says this, and the Competition and Markets Authority’s order requires the price list to be shown in branches and on websites. The CMA says customers must receive the price and key terms, such as any deposit, before committing to a purchase.

Citizens Advice says you can compare costs with other funeral directors or crematoria, and use standard price lists if you do not have a written estimate. MoneyHelper suggests getting at least two quotes and considering a local independent funeral director, which it says are usually cheaper than national chains.

When you compare, check each quote covers the same things:

1. The funeral director’s own fees.
2. Third-party costs paid on your behalf, such as the crematorium or cemetery fees, the officiant and any doctor’s fees. GOV.UK lists these as part of funeral costs.
3. Any non-resident charges or annual grave upkeep fees, which MoneyHelper says to check.
4. Optional extras you can decline.

A prepaid funeral plan bought earlier by the person may already cover part of the costs, so check for one first. See prepaid funeral plans and what to check.

Council and charity help with a low cost funeral

If nobody can arrange or pay for a funeral, the council can arrange a simple one, but this is a last resort. Citizens Advice says that if there is no one to arrange a funeral, the local or health authority will arrange a simple funeral. Section 46 of the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 places this duty on a local authority where no suitable arrangements are being made, and it can recover its costs from the estate.

Other sources of help named in the sources we checked:

• The Children’s Funeral Fund for England, which can help with some costs for a child under 18 or a baby stillborn after the 24th week of pregnancy. Citizens Advice says it does not require benefits.
• Veterans UK, for people with a war disablement pension, according to Citizens Advice.
• Body donation to a medical school. MoneyHelper says this may cover the funeral, but acceptance depends on the school’s criteria.

Your local council bereavement services can say what local help exists. A Citizens Advice adviser can help you check benefits, and our guide to who pays for a funeral explains the estate and the person arranging it. We have not named any charity funds, because help of that kind varies and we could not verify one from an official source.

Funeral Expenses Payment in England

In England the Funeral Expenses Payment can help with part of a low cost funeral if you or your partner receive a qualifying benefit. GOV.UK says you must receive Universal Credit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit or Housing Benefit, and meet the relationship rules. You might also be eligible if you get a Support for Mortgage Interest loan.

As at November 2026, GOV.UK says it can cover:

• Part of the burial fees for a plot, or cremation fees including the doctor’s certificate.
• Up to £1,000 for other funeral expenses, such as the funeral director’s fees, flowers or the coffin.
• Travel to arrange or attend the funeral, and moving the body within the UK if it is more than 50 miles.
• Up to £120 for items a prepaid plan does not cover, if the person had one.

You must apply within 6 months of the funeral, and you can apply before it if you have an invoice or signed contract from the funeral director, not an estimate. The payment is deducted from money you receive from the estate. For more detail see our guide to funeral costs and the Funeral Expenses Payment. Ask the Bereavement Service helpline, 0800 151 2012, if you are unsure whether you qualify.

Funeral payments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

The funeral payment differs by nation, so claim from the scheme where you live.

• Scotland: Funeral Support Payment has replaced the Funeral Expenses Payment, run by Social Security Scotland. The mygov.scot page says you must live in Scotland, you or your partner must receive a qualifying benefit, and you must apply no later than 6 months after the funeral. Its list of qualifying benefits includes Income Support and income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance as well as the ones in England. That page was last updated on 1 April 2022, so check current rules and amounts.
• Wales: the same Funeral Expenses Payment as in England applies. GOV.UK’s claim form page states that it applies to England and Wales.
• Northern Ireland: nidirect describes its own Funeral Expenses Payment with a six month deadline, claimed through the Bereavement Service helpline or a form. It says Bereavement Support Payment is not counted when the award is calculated.

Mygov.scot says you cannot get Funeral Support Payment if you have already received a Funeral Expenses Payment from England or Wales, or a Funeral Payment from Northern Ireland. Whichever scheme applies, it usually will not cover the full cost, so use the cost-cutting steps above to keep a low cost funeral within reach.

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest type of funeral?

A direct cremation, which has no attended service, is often chosen as a lower cost route, and MoneyHelper lists it as a way to reduce costs. Prices vary by provider, so compare written quotes and check for extras such as returning the ashes.

Can I arrange a funeral without a funeral director?

Yes. GOV.UK says you can pay a funeral director to arrange the funeral or do it yourself, and your local council can advise on plots, crematorium services and costs. Citizens Advice says the Natural Death Centre gives free advice.

Do funeral directors have to publish their prices?

Yes. GOV.UK says funeral directors are legally required to publish a price list for the standard set of products and services they offer. The CMA’s order also requires it to be displayed in branches and on websites, so you can compare.

Can I get help paying for a funeral in England?

You may qualify for a Funeral Expenses Payment if you or your partner receive certain benefits, such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit. You must apply within 6 months of the funeral, and the payment is usually deducted from the estate.

Is Scotland different for funeral costs help?

Yes. In Scotland, Funeral Support Payment replaces the Funeral Expenses Payment, and you apply to Social Security Scotland within 6 months of the funeral. The mygov.scot page was last updated in April 2022, so check current rules before applying.

What happens if nobody can pay for the funeral?

Citizens Advice says that if nobody arranges the funeral, the local or health authority will arrange a simple funeral. This is a last resort, and the council can recover its costs from the estate. Contact the council early if you want a say.

Does the Funeral Expenses Payment cover the whole cost?

Usually not. GOV.UK says it will not usually cover the full cost, and it can pay towards burial or cremation fees and up to £1,000 for other expenses. The amount depends on other money available, such as insurance or the estate.

Official sources

• GOV.UK: Arrange a funeral
• GOV.UK: Funeral Expenses Payment
• GOV.UK: Funeral Expenses Payment eligibility
• GOV.UK: How to claim a Funeral Expenses Payment
• GOV.UK: Funeral Expenses Payment claim form
• Citizens Advice: Arranging a funeral
• MoneyHelper: How much does a funeral cost?
• GOV.UK: CMA funerals market investigation final report
• CMA: Funerals sector annual review of market outcomes, 7 August 2025
• Which?: Funeral plans explained
• legislation.gov.uk: Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984, section 46
• mygov.scot: Funeral Support Payment
• nidirect: Funeral Expenses Payment

This page is general information, not legal, medical or financial advice. The Care Panel is an independent guide and is not part of any government body or care provider. Last checked 9 November 2026.

Related: Burial and grave plot costs · Prepaid funeral plans: what to check · Average funeral cost in the UK

Reviewed by The Care Panel team on 9 November 2026. This guide is general information about care in England, not legal, medical or financial advice. Rules and rates change; check with your council or an adviser before making decisions.