Simplicity Cremations Funeral Plans Review 2021

As one of the best-respected cremation funeral directors in the UK, Simplicity Cremations offers an award-winning range of affordable cremation funeral plans, to help you plan and prepare in advance for your funeral. This takes the burden and the worry of your family and friends. In this article, we’ll be looking at the pros and cons of the Simplicity Cremations Funeral Service.

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The Importance of Funeral Planning

No one can predict the future and we all have a responsibility to our loved ones that, when the time comes, they aren’t left with a financial burden or a complicated situation to manage. Having just escaped one period of deep and long-lasting austerity, our families and friends might be about to enter another which is probably going to be deeper still.

You probably agree that it is not right they should possibly have to, possibly suddenly and unexpectedly, carry the additional burden of one day at short notice finding the money for a funeral. Even a very basic funeral can start around £1,700 and can be more than £2,000 pounds in some parts of the country. A relatively basic funeral burial can be up to £4,000. It’s an unfortunate fact that due to the economic effects of the pandemic, many people across the country in the next few years will have little or no savings at all.

Planning a funeral, of any kind, from scratch is also usually stressful, not just because some kinds of funerals are expensive but also your loved ones deciding what is appropriate when there is no existing plan in place can be upsetting, and lead to disagreements.

Life goes on for those left behind and things are much easier for them, at an already difficult time, if you have planned and funded your arrangements in advance. That means there can be no confusion or disputes about what you wanted and no sudden financial burden that those close to you will have to bear.

Cremation is a popular choice, both for being more straightforward than a burial and because a typical cremation cost is lower than a typical full traditional burial cost. There is no plot to choose, and no headstone to have designed and made.

One such cremation funeral service, offered at 45 crematoria across the UK is that provided by Simplicity Cremations, which we’ll now look at in detail.

About Simplicity Cremations

Simplicity Cremations, in our view, offer the lowest cost plans that you can depend on. Yes, there are competitor cheap plans from various independent funeral services, but you can’t be sure with the independent services, you will get an experience you are happy with if you are on a budget cremation cost.

You may get lucky with the funeral, and there are good independents out there, but you might not. At a time when your loved one’s emotions are already fragile, due to handling the bereavement process, it’s unhelpful to them if the cremation service they got from an independent was poor quality.

The unique selling proposition of Simplicity Cremations is a good cremation funeral choice, starting from less than £1,000 that is still fundamentally a quality service. In a nutshell, it is reasonably priced but at the same time it is not ‘basic’ and Simplicity Cremations have a great reputation for reliability and consistency.

Anywhere you choose to use Simplicity Cremations, you get a quality-controlled standardised service that will follow their rules and practices. You can be confident of a ‘no fuss’ competent, sensitive and well-delivered cremation funeral.

There are three levels of service Unattended, Intimate and Attended.

The Unattended service provides a safe direct cremation, without a service beforehand and without any mourners present. That allows a celebration of the bereaved’s life to still happen as a separate event. There is a simple coffin – which is all you need for an unattended cremation and all normal Doctor’s and cremation fees are included. Many people choose this level because they feel money from their estate could be better used to benefit their loved ones, or just because they don’t like funerals.

The Intimate service has the same arrangements as the Simple service but is ideal for a small number of mourners, up to 10, who can spend a short time together in the chapel.

The Attended service allows up to 10 people to attend a service in the chapel.

What are Simplicity Cremations Funeral Plans?

Simplicity Cremations offer three levels: Unattended, Intimate and Attended

There is then a range of three prepaid plans; the basic Lilly, intermediate Magnolia, and top-end Orchid, which offer an increasing level of extras.

The Lily Plan

At £1,495 or £17 per month, The Lily Plan is ideal for an unattended simple funeral arrangement. 

You get a supervised cremation in a simple coffin, supported by transportation and storage of the deceased into mortuary facilities and return of ashes in a straightforward container. There is guidance on the plan from a helpline and phone bereavement support. The plan moves with you if you move within most of the UK. It also avoids the need to gather together and plan a full funeral at short notice.   

The Magnolia Plan

The intermediate Magnolia plan has the same main elements but is from £1,795 or £20 per month as it adds a simple short attended service for up to 12 people.

The Orchid Plan

The top of the range Orchid plan, which costs £2,295 or £25 per month includes everything in the Lily and Magnolia plans plus a personalized full family service in (where possible) a good quality crematorium chapel most conveniently close to the mortuary.

How do Simplicity Cremations Funeral Plans Work?

You normally pay upfront via credit card but there is the option of monthly payments.

You do need to know up front that the main restriction of some of the Simplicity plans is that your loved ones, friends and family may not have total flexibility to choose the time, day of the week or overall date of your cremation funeral services. What normally happens in the majority of cases, is that the Simplicity funeral director may ask them to schedule the funeral service for a normal ‘office hours time on a weekday, rather than on a, possibly more convenient, Saturday or Sunday, or a Bank Holiday.

For many or possibly most people, this time restriction will not be an issue but needs to be borne in mind if, for example, it interferes with children (and parents of children) who want to come to the funeral but will find it more difficult due to needing to attend school. Another possible issue is for people having to travel distances to attend and having to take days off work to do so.

You also need to know that the Simplicity plans include a good but simple wooden coffin. This really is (or should be) not a problem for cremations, when spending large sums of money that will literally go up in smoke in a short time does not appeal to most.

The most basic plans start from below £1,000. For £995 this is what you get:

• Direct cremation with no mourners present
• Doctor’s and cremation fees (basic doctors fees and not dealing with pacemakers or artificial limbs)
• Simple coffin
• Preparation for cremation in mortuary facilities
• All transportation in a specialised vehicle
• Ashes scattered in gardens ( ashes returned to you at an additional cost)

Saving money can be used on other aspects of the funeral, or the money saved could be gifted to charity or given to friends and family. In fact, there are many reasons why a simple coffin may be preferable and make more sense than using money on a more expensive and ornately designed coffin. Remember, this is cremation and not a burial, so the coffin will not be on display.

Pros and Cons of using Simplicity Cremations Funeral Services

In summary so far, here are the main pros and cons when looking at the Simplicity Cremations review overall:

Unlike many independent funeral directors, whether a single site or as part of a chain, one important thing that sets the Simplicity funeral services apart from all other kinds of funeral plan providers, has a clue in the name. They are ideal for people who want a no-fuss and no-frills funeral. If you are looking for complicated and expensive funerals, with hearses ornate carriages, catering, pallbearers and so on, then you might do better elsewhere.

On the other hand, if you are focused on an affordable funeral, some rival providers will give a low headline quote but will then take every opportunity to try to upsell you or offload some costs to third parties for you to pay separately. So, the actual total cremation cost you pay will be in some cases very much higher.

Note that the Simplicity plans do not provide any kind of disbursement to your family, as some other competitive funeral plans do. Balanced against that, your friends or family equally shouldn’t need that money with a Simplicity funeral plan.

Conclusion

Overall, investing in a Simplicity Cremations approach upfront is a good no-risk choice if you’re looking for a reasonably priced and hassle-free cremation funeral plan. Your friends and family will not have the added upset and stress of arranging and paying for the service.

The added fact that the Simplicity Cremations has a countrywide network across most of the UK means that you know what you are getting plus your friends and family won’t need the costs and time of travelling long distances to arrange things for your funeral. The services will always be competent and well delivered. That will make a big emotional difference in an already upsetting and stressful period of mourning.

In the end, it’s a guaranteed well-delivered service, plus peace of mind for your loved ones, that you are investing in.

Avalon - Best UK Funeral Plan

Our Rating

• Cremation options available with and without funeral service
• Coverage starts after one year of payments
• No restrictions on date and time of service

Sign Up Now

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