Kilmarnock Office: 01563 572565 Stewarton Office: 01560 485366 Galston Office: 01563 624025 Darvel Office: 01560 429239

After the funeral

Funeral Costs

Our account will be sent out within seven days of the date of the funeral and will be divided into two separate parts – the funeral director’s charges and the fees and disbursements paid on your behalf. The disbursements are third-party charges such as crematorium or burial fees, church fees, officiant’s fees, obituary notices, flowers and order of service. Our charges will include all professional services involved in making the funeral arrangements, caring for the deceased, provision of a coffin, vehicles and staff involved in conducting the funeral.

Help with funeral costs

If there is not enough money in the deceased’s estate and you are responsible for making the funeral arrangements, you may be entitled to assistance if you or your partner are receiving any qualifying benefits. Contact the freephone helpline on 0800 182 2222 to claim the Funeral Support Payment or apply online at

http://www.mygov.scot/funeral-support-payment

 

You can claim up to six months after your loved one has passed away, even if you have already paid the funeral account. However, the Funeral Support Payment does not cover all of the funeral expenses and the amount awarded will be reduced by any money available from the estate, including any insurance or pension payments, pre-paid funeral plans or contributions from relatives or charities.

Find out more about the Funeral Support Payment here

 

If you are under state pension age and your husband, wife or civil partner has passed away, you may be eligible to claim the Bereavement Support Payment.  You will receive a lump sum payment followed by up to 18 monthly payments.  If you receive Child Benefit, you will receive a higher rate.  Contact the freephone helpline on 0800 731 0469 to make a claim.

Find out more about the Bereavement Support Payment here

Deciding what to do with your loved one’s ashes

The ashes can be scattered, either in the crematorium gardens or discreetly at a place of your choice, or they can be interred in a cemetery. Alternatively, you may want to keep the ashes in an urn or incorporate some of the ashes into jewellery or glassware. We will advise on these options at the time of our initial appointment and although it can be a difficult decision to make, in our experience, it is often better to make a choice sooner rather than later to help with the closure after a bereavement. It also helps many people to have a place to visit and remember their loved one in the time after the funeral.

We offer a wide range of high quality decorative urns, scattering tubes and ashes keepsakes and can provide a product catalogue on request.

www.ashesintoglass.co.uk

Memorial Jewellery and Ashes Keepsakes

We recommend Ayrshire company, Lasting Memories, for anyone wishing to have a bespoke piece of silver jewellery commissioned using their loved ones fingerprint.  Examples of sterling silver charms and necklaces can be viewed at our Kilmarnock office.  Fingerprints and hand prints can also be taken for tattoos or other keepsakes.  The company also offers hand and foot casting, giving families a framed keepsake to treasure forever.

Check out Lasting Memories website

Memorial Masonry

There are several memorial masonry companies in Ayrshire and they can advise on the purchase of new headstones, memorial lettering and restoration of existing headstones.  They will liaise with the local council regarding permits to carry out work at the cemetery and will give you an estimate of costs and timescale for the work being carried out.