Lee Russell Independent Funeral Directors

08/04/2026

*** Bereavement Support Payments ***

Did you know that if your partner dies and are under the state pension age you may be eligible to receive Bereavement Support Payment from the Government?

This Bereavement Support Payment is not means-tested. This means what you earn or how much you have in savings will not affect what you get.

If you have low income and or are claiming benefits you may also be eligible to claim for a funeral support payment to assist you to pay for your loved one’s funeral as well as your bereavement support payment.

How soon you make your claim can also affect how much money you can receive. You usually need to make a claim within 3 months of your partner’s death to receive the full amount but it is certainly worth investigating even if this time has passed.

To find out more about bereavement payments all you need to do is go to
https:// www.gov.uk/bereavement-support-payment or call the Government bereavement helpline on 0800 151 2012

05/04/2026

02/04/2026

Our office will be closed from Good Friday to Easter Monday.
As always, our phone lines remain 24 hours should you need our support.

We will be back open as normal on Tuesday 7th April.

📞 01905 347588
📧 info@leerussellfunerals.co.uk

01/04/2026

Today, our team had the privilege of conducting the funeral service for a highly respected and much loved gentleman of Oddingley.
It was a significant gathering, with over 100 friends and family coming together to share memories and pay their respects.

31/03/2026

Today brought a wonderful unexpected treat, courtesy of the lovely ladies at Celebrant Circle - Thank you so much! 😊

27/03/2026

Just a little reminder… ⏰

25/03/2026

Sometimes missing them isn’t about the big moments at all.
It’s in the smallest things that catch us off guard — a song playing in the background, a familiar scent passing by, a quiet moment that suddenly feels too loud without them.
They live in the details we never planned to remember, in the pauses between our thoughts, and in the ordinary moments that turn heavy without warning.
We don’t choose when they come to mind - they simply do, softly and unexpectedly, reminding us that love doesn’t fade. It lingers... in silence, in memory, and in everything that still feels unfinished.

20/03/2026

Deeply privileged to serve a local family in Salwarpe today. A calm and respectful service for a lady’s final journey through the Droitwich countryside.

19/03/2026

Society of Allied Independent Funeral Directors - SAIF work so hard for independent funeral directors and constantly push for regulation and change.

We are proud to have been apart of SAIF since I first established Lee Russell Independent Funeral Directors, showing to everyone we work to a code of practice, our premises are inspected & we always provide the highest of standards.

The Law Commission has just published its long-awaited report to modernise burial and cremation laws in England and Wales. The proposals tackle some important funeral profession challenges, including burial space shortages, direct cremation and uncollected ashes.

A key proposal allows funeral directors to finally return historic, uncollected ashes to crematoria. SAIF welcomes this but strongly opposes any suggestion that crematoria charge our members a fee for clearing an historic backlog they did not create.

Regarding direct cremation, SAIF supports the push for transparency but urges the Government to go further. National online providers must be required to disclose their full chain of third-party contractors so families know exactly who is caring for their loved ones.

Finally, we welcome the recommendation to extend the grave reuse timeline to 100 years, protecting families from unnecessary distress. Read our full summary of how these vital reforms impact independent funeral directors here: https://saif.org.uk/news/law-commission-publishes-proposed-reforms-to-burial-and-cremation-laws/