No-frills cremations rise 560 percent in four years as Britons snub traditional funerals for basic and affordable alternative

DIRECT cremations are soaring in popularity in the UK as families ditch expensive send-offs and go for more affordable, low-frills direct cremations instead.

More and more Britons are looking for cheaper alternatives to the traditional Victorian funerals, with average costs exceeding £4,000 last year according to SunLife’s most recent cost of dying report.

And attitudes towards direct cremations have changed, with low-key direct cremations, where there is no attended funeral service, making up 14 percent of all funerals in the UK last year, compared to just three percent in 2019.

Experts point towards a greater emphasis on affordability, along with increased attention due to public figures such as David Bowie, who opted for a direct cremation after his death in 2016.

Leading firm Low Cost Funeral, one of the largest funeral companies in the country, has seen a 560 increase in direct cremations since 2017, including a 56 percent rise in the year from 2019 to 2020.

The company’s CEO Howard Hodgson said: “There is no doubt that there is considerably more choice today when it comes to choosing the right funeral for yourself or a loved one.

“There are a range of factors to take into consideration, such as price and style, but there are many ways to arrange a funeral that is personal and memorable.

“Direct cremations have gone from barely being on the radar of many people to becoming an increasingly popular and affordable choice for a fitting send-off.

“The traditional Victorian funeral can cost thousands of pounds and people are increasingly looking for options to suit all budgets.

“I think direct cremations will continue to rise in popularity and it will become more firmly established as an affordable and viable alternative to more traditional funerals.”

A direct cremation is a simple option where the deceased is cremated without a funeral service or ceremony.

They are rising in popularity in the UK, making up 14 percent of all funerals last year compared to just three percent in 2019.

Music icon David Bowie and fashion legend Karl Lagerfeld are among the household names who chose this option instead of a more traditional burial.

Low Cost Funeral, one of the UK’s leading funeral firms, began conducting direct cremations shortly after the company began in 2016.

Low Cost Funeral’s £950 direct cremation package includes the provision of a standard coffin, the collection of the deceased in a suitable vehicle, transfer to the crematorium and all cremation fees.

The body is then cremated and the ashes are either returned to the bereaved family or scattered in the crematorium’s Garden of Remembrance.

Sales of the stripped-back cremation have risen each year since 2017, including a 129 percent year-on-year rise in 2018, 57 percent year-on-year rise in 2019 and 56 percent year-on-year rise in 2020.

Low Cost Funeral is the UK’s largest provider of affordable funerals and direct cremations, as well as a wide range of pre-arranged funeral plans.

It is part of the Memoria Group which also owns and manages 11 crematoria and memorial parks in locations throughout England and Wales.

Howard Hodgson, a fourth generation funeral director, has been at the forefront of the industry for almost five decades and has developed Low Cost Funeral into the UK’s largest online funeral business since its founding in 2016.

Low Cost Funeral has a range of burial and cremation options to suit any budget and is rated excellent on Trustpilot from more than 300 reviews.