Frequently Asked Questions

County Funerals is a family owned and run service provider offering simple direct to crematorium services in addition to modern and traditional funerals. We provide a simple, affordable and dignified funeral service, that you can arrange in person,online or over the phone. Whilst still maintaining the high standards you would expect from a local funeral directors we promise a simple process with transparent prices, and exceptional care.

From our base in Little Wymondley, Hertsfordshire, County Funerals service all towns and cities in Herts, Beds and Bucks and the surrounding areas. However, should you live further away, we can offer our specialised services across the whole of England, Scotland and Wales. Call a member of our care team or click here for a FREE quotation.

We offer a more cost effective direct to crematorium option, which is not widely available from most Funeral Directors. Both our modern and traditional funeral options can also be tailored to individual requirements and can be worked to keep the costs as low as possible. Our streamlined service means that a lot of the unnecessary extras are removed, leaving just the essential elements; we will only provide you with the services you need and the services you choose.

You could get a Funeral Expenses Payment (also called a funeral payment) from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) if you get certain benefits (https://www.gov.uk/funeral-payments/eligibility) and need help to pay for a funeral you are arranging.

How much you will receive will be dependent on your circumstance.  This includes any other money that is available to cover the costs, for example from an insurance policy or the deceased person’s estate.

In order to be eligible to submit a claim for the Funeral Expenses Payment, you must be one of the following:

• The partner of the deceased when they died
• A close relative or close friend of the deceased
• The parent of a baby stillborn after 24 weeks of pregnancy
• The parent of the deceased child, if they were under 16 (or under 20 and not in full-time education)

You (or your partner) must get one or more of the following:

• Income Support
• Income-based Job Seeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Pension Credit
• Housing Benefit
• The disability or severe disability element of Working Tax Credit
• Child Tax Credit
• Universal Credit

Please note:  you might not get a Funeral Expenses Payment if another close relative of the deceased (such as a sibling or parent) is in work.

If you have any questions, please do contact us.

Yes we do accept DWP Funeral Expenses Payments, We are able to guide you to getting the financial support you need including help with organising DWP Payments.

You don’t need to book an appointment, however phoning us first does mean that one of our team will be available to help you at a time convenient to you. We can also come to your home to meet with you.

Third party funeral costs otherwise known as disbursements are additional charges we manage for you and will be put on your invoice. These include but are not limited to Crematorium, Cemetery fees, Floral tributes, Doves, Officiants, Motorbike Hearses, Horse Drawn Carriages and Doctors fees for cremation services.

If you already have a funeral plan or wish to take out a funeral plan with us, we can help you. Setting up a funeral plan is a way of planning the funeral service and paying for it before it is needed, so that when the time comes there is no unexpected costs.

A direct cremation is the simplest funeral option. Your loved one will be brought into our care and placed into a simple wooden coffin, they will then rest in our private mortuary until committal takes place at a local Crematorium; the time and date is agreed between County Funerals and the crematorium.

The direct cremation approach separates the cremation from the funeral ceremony. This way, a memorial, thanksgiving service or celebration of life can be held whenever, wherever and however you choose allowing you to create a truly personal send-off.

No it doesn’t. Our “no-frills” approach allows you to grieve without the escalating worry of additional costs. Many of our families will hold a memorial or celebration of life service at a later date. By choosing a County Funerals direct cremation you are able to arrange a much more personalised memorial for your loved one, without the cost and pressures of a traditional funeral.

A County Funerals Direct Cremation is £995.00 covers all of the essentials required for an unattended direct cremation, including handling all the paperwork associated with a direct cremation.
(Our direct cremation fee includes the doctor’s fees worth £82.00, usually payable in England and Wales)

Our Personal Service starts from £1,760.

Our Simple funerals start at £3,350.

County Funerals Traditional Funeral start at £4,190.

Please get in touch for a full quote.

Our “no-frills” direct cremation service covers all of the essentials required for an unattended direct cremation, including handling all the paperwork associated with a direct cremation. However we can offer any additional services for a fee. Common examples include:

• Flowers
• Attendance to the Crematorium
• Upgraded coffin
• Returning of ashes

If you have any special requests, call us on 01438 510355 or submit your enquire here.

Absolutely not! Neither of these practices are allowed. Your loved one will be treated with the utmost of dignity and respect. They will be placed in their own sealed and approved coffin with a name plate, before being transported to the Crematorium for a private individual cremation.

On the day of the funeral County Funerals will be here to guide you through every step of the process; we aim to make you as informed and comfortable as possible at a very tough time.

The service

• If you choose to have an attended service, then mourners will meet at the crematorium – usually there is a waiting room close to the chapel. You can choose to have the coffin placed in the chapel prior to family and friends entering or alternatively you may wish for mourners to wait until the hearse arrives and have the mourners follow the coffin into the chapel; the choice is entirely yours.
• When the hearse arrives at the crematorium the chapel attendant will confirm the identity of your loved one by checking the nameplate with the information the crematorium holds for that service.
• The content of the service is entirely the choice of the family and will be decided with the funeral director and officiant in advance. You may choose to have a religious or non-religious service and we can help you find a suitable celebrant or religious officiant if you wish. You can choose music, hymns, poems as appropriate to your loved one.
• As the service draws to a close the officiant will lead you in your final goodbyes. The curtains can remain open or be closed as you wish
• At the end of the end service all mourners will leave the chapel and then have the opportunity to view the floral tributes (if there are any) and have the chance to speak with other mourners. Some families ask for donations to a chosen charity in memory of the deceased – there will be a box for anonymous donations if this is the case.

After family and friends have left the chapel the coffin will be collected by the crematorium attendant; the name plate will be checked once more. The coffin is transferred to the cremator and the cremation process will take approximately 90 minutes. When the cremation is complete the remains are removed from the cremator and sorted via a machine which reduces any remaining fragments to ash. The remains are then placed into a container which is labelled and stored safely.

The remains of your loved one can be held at the crematorium, collected on your behalf by the funeral director or collected by yourself. You may choose to organise scattering or interment; some families opt to purchase a decorative casket or urn for keeping their loved ones close at home or in the garden. The choice is yours and will be discussed with you when you are arranging the funeral.