Our Distinct Cremation Direct Cremation Review
As part of our commitment to helping families understand their choices, we have thoroughly researched the Direct Cremation market, providing in-depth reviews of direct cremation services This detailed Distinct Direct Cremations review will help you understand if the Distinct service is the right company for you and your lost one.
| Headline Price | |
| Inclusivity | |
| Flexibility | |
| Speed of Service | |
| Customer Satisfaction | |
| Overall |
Distinct Cremation Overview
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Low cost – Distinct Cremations succeeds in combining a low cost, flexible service with excellent customer satisfaction.
From £895 – Their unattended, Direct Cremation Service is available for the headline price of £895, with all of the essential services from collection of the deceased through to delivery of the ashes included.
Additional services such as doctors’ fees, priority collection of the deceased and the removal of jewellery are available as optional extras. Compared to more inclusive providers, this means that you won’t pay for a service you either do not wish to have or do not end up using.
Quick service – Distinct Cremations offers an unvarnished, veneer chipboard coffin with each of their cremations. Delivery of the ashes to your chosen address will be within fourteen days. This timescale, inclusive of the price, is much quicker than that offered by most other providers.
UK Wide Service – Offering their services across the mainland UK, a Distinct cremation will be carried out at one of thirty-six venues operated by their parent company, the Westerleigh Group. While you will not be able to choose which crematorium is used, they will endeavour to use the facility that is closest to you should you opt for an unattended service.
Attendees – For an additional fee, up to eight mourners may attend the cremation at a Westerleigh crematorium of your choice. It’s worth bearing in mind that this option is not available with many other direct cremation providers.
Funeral Plan – In addition, Distinct Cremations offers a pre-payment plan for each of their unattended and attended direct cremation services. Open to anyone over the age of 18, the plan may be paid either in full, or the cost may be spread over twelve monthly instalments. Additionally, if you are aged between 50 and 74, you may opt to pay in monthly instalments for five or ten years for an extra, age-dependent charge.
Customer Satisfaction – Distinct Cremations has achieved a very high rate of customer satisfaction, suggesting that a commitment to offering care and compassion doesn’t go out of the window when opting for simplicity and affordability.
Distinct Crematorium Locations
Distinct Cremations are owed by the Westerleigh group. A list of the Westerleigh crematoriums can be found on their website.
Distinct Direct Cremation Cost
What’s Included in the £895 Direct Cremation Funeral Price?
Distinct Cremations will provide the following services in their direct cremation funeral. Everything is included in the headline price, except for the optional extras for which there will be an additional, specified charge:
Paid Extras Include
*Attendance of the cremation is offered as part of a separately listed Private Cremation Service. The additional charge shown is the price differential between the unattended Direct Cremation and the attended Private Cremation.
THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT YOUR CREMATION SERVICE
1. Following the cremation, the ashes will be delivered within fourteen days. This is quicker than the service offered by most other providers, but you will need to bear this timescale in mind if you wish to have the ashes present at a separate memorial service of your choosing.
2. Distinct Cremation offers an option to attend the cremation as part of a separately listed Private Cremation Service. Up to eight mourners may attend for a moment of quiet reflection at a ten-minute, early morning service held at a partner crematorium of your choosing. Music of your choice may be played while Distinct offers also a number of visual tributes which are available for additional prices.
3. The ashes will be returned in a simple, cardboard urn, but you may opt for a wooden urn for an additional £50.
4. Unless you hold a Distinct Cremations Funeral Plan, payment for the service will be taken in full by debit or credit card at the time of the arrangement. There is no credit option or payment plan available. This is in line with the service offered by most other providers.
Distinct Cremation Direct Cremations Vs Pure Cremation
Here’s how a Distinct Direct Cremation service compares to direct cremations offered by a selection of other providers. This table refers to the unattended Direct Cremation Service with the attended service listed as an optional extra
| Service | |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| List Price | £895 | £1,295 | £795 | £995 |
| Coverage | Great Britain | UK | Great Britain | Great Britain |
| Hospital or Public Mortuary Collection | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Residential Address or Care Home Collection | +£200 | +£250 | +£250 | +£250 |
| Out-of-Hours Collection | +£250 | +£250 | +£250 | +£195 |
| Doctors’ Fees | +£82 | Yes | +£82 | Yes |
| Dress for the Deceased | Clothing at time of collection | Clothing at time of collection | Simple Gown | Simple Gown |
| Option for Own Clothes | Yes | Yes | +£50 | No |
| Removal of Medical Devices | Yes | Yes | Yes | Additional Cost Subject to Details |
| Removal of Jewellery | +£50 | Yes | No | No |
| Coffin | Unvarnished Veneer Chipboard | Solid Wood | Medium Density Fibreboard | Dark Wood Effect |
| Max. time between Collection and Cremation | Unspecified | 14 Days | Unspecified | Within a Few Days |
| Option to Attend | +£400 | +£250-£400 | No | +£400-£900 |
| Option to be Informed of Cremation Date | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Choice of Crematorium | Attended Only | No | +Customised Fee | Attended Only |
| Delivery of Ashes | Yes | Yes | +£100 | +£75 |
| Max. Time for Ashes Delivery following Cremation | 14 Days | 21 Days | >28 Days | 28 Days |
Closest Competitor Service
Below we have listed the closest comparable product to the direct cremation service offered by Distinct Direct Cremation
| Competitor | Simplicity Cremations |
| Service | Very similar package of services with a few variations in terms of inclusion. e.g. Simplicity charges extra for ashes delivery, Distinct it’s inclusive; Simplicity includes doctors fee, Distinct does not |
| Difference | CMG (Simplicity) and Westerleigh Group (Distinct) have approximately the same number of crematoriums dotted around the country |
| Review | Read our Simplicity Cremations Review |
Distinct Direct Cremation Funeral Plans
In addition to an, ‘at need’ direct cremation service, Distinct Cremations offers a direct cremation funeral plan, which is suitable for those that are planning ahead
| Headline Price | |
| Safety | |
| Payment Flexibility | |
| Guaranteed Coverage | |
| Customer Satisfaction | |
| Overall |
Option 1. Direct Cremation Plan
An unattended direct cremation with the added services below
Option 2. Intimate Cremation Plan
All the features of option 1, but with a small 10 minute service with up to eight people.
Distinct Cremations Funeral Plan Cost
How Much Will I Pay?
Pricelist for Lump Sum and Twelve Monthly Instalment Payments
| Number of Instalments | Direct Cremation Plan | Intimate Cremation Plan | ||
| Per Month | TOTAL | Per Month | TOTAL | |
| Single Payment | – | £1,499.00 | – | £1,799.00 |
| 12 | £124.91 | £1,498.92 | £149.91 | £1,798.92 |
Pricelist for Five and Ten Year Monthly Instalment Payments
| Age at Purchase | Five Year Plan | Ten Year Plan | ||||||
| Direct Cremation Plan | Intimate Cremation Plan | Direct Cremation Plan | Intimate Cremation Plan | |||||
| Per Month | TOTAL | Per Month | TOTAL | Per Month | TOTAL | Per Month | TOTAL | |
| 50 | £29.71 | £1,782.60 | £36.65 | £2,199.00 | £17.61 | £2,113.20 | £21.47 | £2,576.40 |
| 51 | £29.72 | £1,783.20 | £36.66 | £2,199.60 | £17.63 | £2,115.60 | £21.50 | £2,580.00 |
| 52 | £29.73 | £1,783.80 | £36.67 | £2,200.20 | £17.65 | £2,118.00 | £21.52 | £2,582.40 |
| 53 | £29.75 | £1,785.00 | £36.70 | £2,202.00 | £17.67 | £2,120.40 | £21.55 | £2,586.00 |
| 54 | £29.76 | £1,785.60 | £36.71 | £2,202.60 | £17.70 | £2,124.00 | £21.59 | £2,590.80 |
| 55 | £29.78 | £1,786.80 | £36.74 | £2,204.40 | £17.72 | £2,126.40 | £21.62 | £2,594.40 |
| 56 | £29.79 | £1,787.40 | £36.75 | £2,205.00 | £17.75 | £2,130.00 | £21.65 | £2,598.00 |
| 57 | £29.81 | £1,788.60 | £36.78 | £2,206.80 | £17.79 | £2,134.80 | £21.71 | £2,605.20 |
| 58 | £29.84 | £1,790.40 | £36.82 | £2,209.20 | £17.82 | £2,138.40 | £21.75 | £2,610.00 |
| 59 | £29.86 | £1,791.60 | £36.84 | £2,210.40 | £17.87 | £2,144.40 | £21.81 | £2,617.20 |
| 60 | £29.89 | £1,793.40 | £36.88 | £2,212.80 | £17.91 | £2,149.20 | £21.86 | £2,623.20 |
| 61 | £29.92 | £1,795.20 | £36.92 | £2,215.20 | £17.96 | £2,155.20 | £21.93 | £2,631.60 |
| 62 | £29.95 | £1,797.00 | £36.96 | £2,217.60 | £18.02 | £2,162.40 | £22.01 | £2,641.20 |
| 63 | £29.99 | £1,799.40 | £37.01 | £2,220.60 | £18.09 | £2,170.80 | £22.10 | £2,652.00 |
| 64 | £30.03 | £1,801.80 | £37.06 | £2,223.60 | £18.16 | £2,179.20 | £22.19 | £2,662.80 |
| 65 | £30.08 | £1,804.80 | £37.13 | £2,227.80 | £18.25 | £2,190.00 | £22.30 | £2,676.00 |
| 66 | £30.13 | £1,807.80 | £37.19 | £2,231.40 | £18.34 | £2,200.80 | £22.42 | £2,690.40 |
| 67 | £30.19 | £1,811.40 | £37.27 | £2,236.20 | £18.45 | £2,214.00 | £22.56 | £2,707.20 |
| 68 | £30.26 | £1,815.60 | £37.36 | £2,241.60 | £18.57 | £2,228.40 | £22.72 | £2,726.40 |
| 69 | £30.33 | £1,819.80 | £37.45 | £2,247.00 | £18.71 | £2,245.20 | £22.90 | £2,748.00 |
| 70 | £30.42 | £1,825.20 | £37.57 | £2,254.20 | £18.87 | £2,264.40 | £23.11 | £2,773.20 |
| 71 | £30.52 | £1,831.20 | £37.70 | £2,262.00 | £19.06 | £2,287.20 | £23.36 | £2,803.20 |
| 72 | £30.63 | £1,837.80 | £37.84 | £2,270.40 | £19.27 | £2,312.40 | £23.63 | £2,835.60 |
| 73 | £30.76 | £1,845.60 | £38.01 | £2,280.60 | £19.53 | £2,343.60 | £23.97 | £2,876.40 |
| 74 | £30.91 | £1,854.60 | £38.21 | £2,292.60 | £19.83 | £2,379.60 | £24.36 | £2,923.20 |
THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT YOUR CREMATION PLAN
1. If paying in full, redemption for the plan benefits is available if the beneficiary dies at any time – there is no waiting period or restriction.
2. If paying over twelve monthly instalments, redemption for the plan benefits is available after the plan is paid in full. If death occurs before the plan is paid for in full, the estate of the deceased has the option of paying the balance of the funds outstanding before claiming the benefits.
3. If paying in monthly instalments over five or ten years, redemption is available after the first twelve months of payments. Redemption is available within the first twelve months if death of the benef