Whats the cost of a funeral now, keeping in mind only your soul goes to heaven not the body ?

I'v been told the cheapest way is to donate the body to a medical college, thats if they'll take it, some don't.

I have been told that even if you leave your body to medical research they still send the bits they dont use to your relatives so you can't escape the funeral costs.

September 2004
Coffin, 2 cars,flowers (to order)
cremation Hutcliffe Rd,Drs fees,Vicar, Buffet after for 25 people.
Just under £2000 can be as much as you are prepared to pay.
Forgot entry in local paper.
The advantage is that in a time of stress it is all arranged for you.

It is possible to have a green funeral, cardboard/chipboard coffin deliver it yourself in a van or something.I think you can dig the grave yourself if you want. There is a place at Anston or there abouts.Google will come up with info.

First result Google:-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/southeast/series5/alternative_funerals.shtml

£ 1800 hearse and one car john heath & son.......every thing done for you......if claiming benefit be very careful ..death allowance is only around £650..anything over you have to pay your self..if you are an imigrant/refugee you can claim transportation allowance if you want deceased to be buried in their own country,also allowed to claim cost of one wreath and travel expences within uk,contact mdp before commiting signuture to any thing as giro takes several weeks to turn up.be very care full,the person identifiying the body is deemed as next of kin and encurs the debts of the estate,eg.we had glasgow council trying to get us to pay a years poll tak in advance,the old peoples home wanted six months payment off us dated six months to be paid after the death date.....if you consider leaving your body to science you,re family still end up with the funeral bill.best check with c a b before any comitment.oh! and if its cremation and you want the ashes interred on/in a grave thats extra for the council /priest to turn up ,extra payment to the council if you intend to install a head stone.....

sorry forgot to add death certificate goes to undertaker.if you require copies for insurance etc they are about £ 8 / 10 each

Originally posted by depoix
.be very care full,the person identifiying the body is deemed as next of kin and encurs the debts of the estate

That's not true - if there isn't enough money in the estate to cover the debts of the deceased, then those debts are cancelled. The next of kin are not liable. However if they were joint debts (eg a mortgage in joint names, or council tax on a property occupied by more than one person) then the other party is still liable for the whole amount.

(The above is a very general statment - please take independent legal advice before acting on it.)

yes it is bloody true.it took us five months of letter writing to glasgow council sending proof of income copies of letters from dhss to say we were in receipt of income support at the time to avoid the courts and bailiffs .and statements from the home she was into say we donated all the belongings to the other residents and what they did not want, the home put into a jumble sale

Under English law you cannot inherit a debt. If the deceased had assets which you kept/sold/gave away, then obviously you are liable for any of the debts of the estate upto the value of those assets. However if someone dies with no money or assets, then all debts die with them.

In any case, the person identifying the body need not be next of kin. It could be identified by another relative or a family friend, if the deceased's next of kin is unable to carry out the task (eg in hospital or in another country).

maybe we got suckered by glasgow council then. but we received several demands from them for poll tax plus the home wanted rent for the end of the month and when we turned up in glasgow we found a giro for x amount of pouinds due to the deceased for the previouse month,we handed this in to the glasgow dhss later we were told it was ours as part of the estate,when we tried to claim it back we werte given a load of bxxxxocks as to how the criteria had now changed...this is a sort point with my wife as it was her father and this just brings back bad memories all i posted was beware what you let yourself in for if you are unfortunate enough to have to deal with a funeral.if you would like to carry this any further please pm me as my wife reads the forum each day and i doint want her upset with past memories.....thanks

I've got a letter attached to my will there is a copy with the university teaching hospitals as well, upon death my body will be claimed by the university for their use. A letterr is sent to my next of kin saying which parts of the body are incinerated immediately. The university then have a set time period in which they can keep the body, certain organs can be kept for a longer period than the entire body. At the end of the time period the body or parts are incinerated and the next of kin informed. There are no costs incurred by the next of kin and as far as I'm bothered at least the medical students get something to laugh at and hopefully I'll make some of them throw up, who else can claim to have the ability to make people throw up?

Originally posted by depoix
if you would like to carry this any further please pm me as my wife reads the forum each day and i doint want her upset with past memories.....thanks

Fair enough, sorry if I've caused any upset/distress.

I have no objection to my posts being removed from this thread, if you want to ask the mods to do so.

thanks mate maybe scottish law is different from english law when it comes down to estates etc..cheers.

On a kind of related note, has anyone specified in their will what type of funeral they want?

I've never been a religious person, and I don't want a religious funeral. I know some people even choose what hymes/music they want at their funerals.

I actually know someone who bought their coffin from a funeral parlour that was going out of business. If you have got specific idea's about your own funeral make sure the people nearest to you know your wishes, whether that be burial or cremation, a tree or a grave stone, a hymn or a rousing version of Do you want to be in my gang.
There's nothing wrong with planning ahead after all you never know when that bus is going to hit you, I also think it's a nice idea to have a little bit of cash in someonee elses account that you trust to pay for the entire thing, one less thing for the relatives to worry about.

read somewhere that you dont have to have a religious funeral.you can be buried in your own garden if you own the land but an official from the council has to be present at the internment loxley house loxley sheffield has a hidden grave where the owner had a dissagreament with the local priest and told him he wouldnt be buried in his church.allegedly he was buried by his servants some where in the grounds

Imagine if you bought a house and discovered the previous owner had been burried under the flower beds! :o

bet there are quite a few.be interesting to find out......heard that several cottages in EYAM plage village have graves in the garden and that because of the plague you are not allowed to dig the gardens more than two foot deep also in the middle ages suicides were buried at cross roads, how many old cross roads are there in britain ? makes you think......

Copies of the death certificate are £3.50 each from the back of the town hall.
Hope you don`t need them for a long time.

In the States on your drivers lic you can check the box to have your body parts donated in case of accident, many people will not do this as wev'e heard of too many "donar chasers" too willing to take your parts before the corrinor arrives on the scene, ouch!

Originally posted by matsalleh
Copies of the death certificate are £3.50 each from the back of the town hall.

When I went to fetch my Mothers Death Certificate last year, we needed a copy for something (can't remember what), anyway it was about that price.

I asked the women if the cost of ink and paper had gone up, seeing as all she did was print off another along with the original. Should have seen the horror on my fathers face for me being so cheeky :)

It brightened up a very unhappy situation tho'.

I do keep thinking about my funeral and I'm not too happy about the costs of certain items and services so am hoping to find something that is in keeping with my own personal beliefs.

I did find something during a Google search however that I just couldn't believe:-

http://www.lifewithoutyou.co.uk/

I'm going to leave my body to the medical students at the University, hopefully some of my tattooed bits will get pickled and taken on a pub crawl round Broomhill.

I was going to be turned into a diamond but the other half said that was a bit camp.

Originally posted by WallBuilder
I've got a letter attached to my will there is a copy with the university teaching hospitals as well, upon death my body will be claimed by the university for their use. A letterr is sent to my next of kin saying which parts of the body are incinerated immediately. The university then have a set time period in which they can keep the body, certain organs can be kept for a longer period than the entire body. At the end of the time period the body or parts are incinerated and the next of kin informed. There are no costs incurred by the next of kin and as far as I'm bothered at least the medical students get something to laugh at and hopefully I'll make some of them throw up, who else can claim to have the ability to make people throw up?

Just out of interest, when was this letter dated?

From my experience, every little scrap was kept with the body and then returned to the family for cremation afterwards. (Or I think the university arranged for cremation if the family does not want the body returned). A memorial service is also held for students and families of the donors. I know that past practice (in London, about 6 years ago) was that different parts got incinerated with parts from other people as and when they were finished with. In recent years though there have been reforms, mainly due to the Alder Hey scandal, which mean much more care is taken to keep bodies together and cremate them individually (or at least in Sheffield anyway). And if you should be unfortunate enough to require a post-mortem (as 1 in 3 of us will) then your body cannot be used.

And I hate to disappoint, but I've never seen anyone throw up in there!

There was something in the news recently where someone did a "home cremation" bonfire in the garden. It transpired that nothing illegal had been done unless someone complained about the smoke/smell.

I hve attached a letter to my will, detailing how I want my funeral to be carried out. I do have religious beliefs so I want my soul to be prayed for. I have picked my favourite passage from the bible but I have also specified certain music which is not religious but songs which have a special meaning to me. I also don't want people to dress in black, no black ties for the men. I hope people will be sorry that I've gone but I want to be remembered with smiles not tears. I have made sure that all my funeral expenses will be well covered and that there will be o debts for my family to sort out.

Originally posted by poppins
In the States on your drivers lic you can check the box to have your body parts donated in case of accident,
You can do that when applying for a drivers licence in the UK as well. Please do this or perhaps carry a donor card, because there is a big shortage of donors. A thousand people died while on the waiting list in a recent five year period!

many people will not do this as wev'e heard of too many "donar chasers" too willing to take your parts before the corrinor arrives on the scene, ouch!
Think there've been too many urban myths? The process here isn't as efficient as it should be - needs a shakeup. Incidentally, in the US a substantial number of young people said they don't wear seat belts because it creases their clothes...

Originally posted by SilentStatic
Please do this or perhaps carry a donor card, because there is a big shortage of donors. A thousand people died while on the waiting list in a recent five year period!


I carry a donor card, the only problem is (I believe) my parents can still overrule me and insist that all my bits stay where they are, if thats the case I'm wasting my time carrying one because I know my mum wouldn't let them cut me up.

Originally posted by depoix
read somewhere that you dont have to have a religious funeral.you can be buried in your own garden if you own the land but an official from the council has to be present at the internment loxley house loxley sheffield has a hidden grave where the owner had a dissagreament with the local priest and told him he wouldnt be buried in his church.allegedly he was buried by his servants some where in the grounds

Part of this is certainly correct depoix.

I attended my Aunt's funeral last year, and there was no religious mention whatsoever. A nice lady from the Humanitarian Society just spoke about her life, and the things she believed in and accomplished.

There wasn't a dry eye in the place!

Can't comment about being buried in your own garden, but it certainly sounds feasible!

K x

Originally posted by Kristian

Can't comment about being buried in your own garden, but it certainly sounds feasible!

K x

Yes, if you want to devalue your estate for the people who will inherit it!

Originally posted by Twiglet
Yes, if you want to devalue your estate for the people who will inherit it!

Not everything is about money.

Originally posted by nick2
Not everything is about money.

Tis true. Would also be a good way of getting out of the council digging you up after 30 years to build a new car park.

Originally posted by WallBuilder
as far as I'm bothered at least the medical students get something to laugh at and hopefully I'll make some of them throw up, who else can claim to have the ability to make people throw up?

Hehe I like your thinking.

Funnily, one of the things that puts me off donating my body to medical science is the thought that students would laugh at it! Tho how or why I'd care at that stage, I dunno.

But yeah, making green 18 year olds greener - great plan!!

Originally posted by Andy
On a kind of related note, has anyone specified in their will what type of funeral they want?

I've never been a religious person, and I don't want a religious funeral. I know some people even choose what hymes/music they want at their funerals.

I want a woodland burial. Biodegradeable coffin, and leaving as little environmental damage by my death as possible. One of my friends who died several years ago was buried in the Woodland Burial part of Wisewood Cemetery. It is very beautiful round there, a lovely place to go and talk to her, and with a tree planted where she is, all very natural and special.

Originally posted by tiffy
I do keep thinking about my funeral and I'm not too happy about the costs of certain items and services so am hoping to find something that is in keeping with my own personal beliefs.

I did find something during a Google search however that I just couldn't believe:-

http://www.lifewithoutyou.co.uk/

That is such a weird, weird site.

I can kind of see the point of people wanting to plan their funerals, or people wanting to make sure that they pay all their own funeral expenses in advance of their death, so that relatives aren't left with that, but the way that site (http://www.lifewithoutyou.co.uk/) does it is just bizarre. Its layout and wording and colour schemes and design all scream 'young people, fun!' yet the content does not match!

Originally posted by nick2
I carry a donor card, the only problem is (I believe) my parents can still overrule me and insist that all my bits stay where they are, if thats the case I'm wasting my time carrying one because I know my mum wouldn't let them cut me up.

I don't literally carry a donor card, but I have made sure that I am on the organ donors' register. However, like you I am sure my mum would totally veto that, should she be making the decision. And I think you are right that it's the current law.

My dads always wanted to be buried in the back garden of our house, he looked into it, and when it happens you have to inform the council and they have to be present, also if selling your house on you have to clearly state that there is a body in the back garden, but theres also a clause that the new owners of the property has to let the deceaseds family and friends access to the area of burial to mourn whenever they they wish.

Susie
xx

Originally posted by Susie
My dads always wanted to be buried in the back garden of our house, he looked into it, and when it happens you have to inform the council and they have to be present, also if selling your house on you have to clearly state that there is a body in the back garden, but theres also a clause that the new owners of the property has to let the deceaseds family and friends access to the area of burial to mourn whenever they they wish.

Susie
xx

You don't legally have to inform the council (they will kick up a stinker if you do and try and feed you a lot of rubbish why you can't do it). The only two legal requirements are that you make exact records of who is buried and where, and that the burial is certain distances from water supply features like wells or springs.

I'm not sure about the new owners letting you in bit, I thought that was one of the risks, that you may not always have access to the grave because it will become someone else's private property. But it does have to be stated when you sell the house.

that was the actual info given to us by Rotherham council... it was a few years ago, so it could have changed, but at the time thats exactly what we were told.

Susie
xx

Oh I believe you! But thats what councils tell you because 1. Its such a rare request they don't really know what they're talking about, and 2. They want you to tell them so they can can try and find some way of preventing you doing it because they don't like it.

Yeah i know what you mean, Luckily we managed to talk him out of it tho.

As odd as it sounds when I die I want to be cremated then have my ashes sealed into pendants then have my friends have one each.... so they each have a part of me to remember... I told my boyfriend about this and was told Im odd.

Susie
xx

Originally posted by Twiglet
Just out of interest, when was this letter dated?

And I hate to disappoint, but I've never seen anyone throw up in there!

The letter was dated from about four years ago, I asked lots of questionss as I consider the body to be an empty shell after death and didn't want any money wasted on it. I'm sure I got a lengthy letter telling me what would happen to the body and how and when it would eventually be disposed of.
Maybe the medical students wont be throwing up but some feel very queasy and apparently they are still told by the boss that if they are going to faint please fall backwards, particularily apt I would imagine if they were in the operating theatre rather than the morgue. I might be lucky though and be the nice corpse that trainee police officers have to look at and watch being dissected, now they do throw up as one of my friends who was in that service did exactly that!!

Originally posted by WallBuilder
I might be lucky though and be the nice corpse that trainee police officers have to look at and watch being dissected, now they do throw up as one of my friends who was in that service did exactly that!!

Haha yeah I've heard the one about the police officers, but they watch a post-mortem rather than a dissection so its a fresh body which does look infintely more like a real person and slightly yuckier.

I'm sure some students doing dissection do throw up or pass out I've just never seen it. But I suppose it a bit like travel sickess - you don't tend to be affected if you're the one in the driving seat.

4 years ago would make sense - I'm pretty sure things have changed since then because of the organ scandal but I think the Universities will arrange for cremation of the bodies afterwards, but they won't be 'mass incinerated' with parts of other bodies like they used to be.

I'm obviously going to have to contact the university for clarification, I would of thought though that if the procedures had altered they should of sent out letters explaining the changes.
One friend of mine wanted to become a forensic pathologist, she wasn't sure whether she'd have the stomach for it though. I suggested she contact the hospitals and ask if she could observe a post mortem. Not only did they let her observe she was stood right next to the table and even allowed to help weigh some of the organs, apparently she found the removal of the brain most interesting. Her parents ran a cafe and she came up there all excited at what she'd seen and tried to give us all the gory details even as I munched on my full english breakfast. Gruesome child!!

To be honest, having read your first post again, I don't think anything has changed from the information that you were given, it's only the procedures on the universities end - i.e. different bits can be incinerated at different times but they won't be incinerating bits of you with bits of other people any more, if that makes sense!