Funeral Experts

06/12/2025

We support everyone with funeral choices, wellbeing and practical support for everything they might find difficult in the immediate hours and days following the death of someone.

Thanks to Martyn James Media for his support in our ongoing mission to provide all the help families across Britain need in one place, with trust, transparency and compassion.

03/12/2025

Growing with Grief

The theme of this year's National Grief Awareness Week is "Growing with Grief" and we want to be honest about what that means. It doesn't mean moving on. It doesn't mean forgetting or getting over it. It means learning to carry your loss alongside your life, not instead o

Growth might look like getting through a difficult anniversary. It might be the first time you tell a story about them and smile before the tears come. It might simply be getting out of bed on a day when everything feels too much.

However grief looks for you today, it's valid. However long it takes, that's okay too.
If you're finding things hard right now, please know you don't have to face this alone. If you’ve got friends or family to turn to, let them be there for you. And if not, or you’d prefer a space that feels a little more neutral, we’re here to listen, without judgment, and help you talk things through.

Be kind to yourself this week, and always.

01/12/2025

Do you have 60 seconds to spare?

Movement for Good are donating £1000 to 120 charities throughout the 12 days of Christmas.

As a charity that receives no funding, this money would make a huge difference to us.

Please could all of our supporters nominate us and encourage their friends and family to do the same?

https://movementforgood.com/

Thank you ❤️

27/11/2025

We’ve issued a new press release with Consumer Rights Campaigner Martyn James Media on “The High Cost of Loss” – what really happens to families when they’re left to navigate grief, money worries and funeral decisions on their own.

At Funeral Experts we’re calling for:

👉 A simple, secure way for the NHS, care homes, hospices and community services to refer families straight into independent bereavement and funeral support.
👉 Clear, comparable funeral prices and proper enforcement of the government's pricing rules – including mandatory licensing and regulation for funeral directors.

The evidence that this kind of “right support at the point of need” works is now overwhelming.

Read the press release and Martyn’s comments here:
https://www.funeralexperts.com/media/the-high-cost-of-loss-by-martyn-james

When someone dies, families shouldn’t be left to navigate grief, complex funeral choices and money worries on their own.

Free, impartial & compassionate support. We explain funeral options, help you find a funeral director within budget, and assist with financial and bereavement matters, helping you make informed choices and save money where possible during difficult times.

27/11/2025

What Havering families need to know in regards to funerals.

26/11/2025

Always learning, always developing. 🎓

Some of our team joined the Kings Court Trust webinar “Property Trusts in Wills” this morning. It was a useful session with practical guidance around how property trusts can be used in estate planning and how they can help support beneficiaries.

We make a point of regularly taking part in training and partner sessions like this, so our knowledge stays current and we can continue supporting families with care and confidence.

Thank you to Kings Court Trust for a great session!

https://www.kctrust.co.uk/

25/11/2025

Movember is about men’s health, and that includes what happens after loss.
Bereavement can hit men hard, often leading to loneliness and silent struggle.
If you’re grieving, you don’t have to carry it alone.
And if someone you know is grieving, a simple check-in can mean everything.
Let’s talk. Let’s listen. Let’s show up.

Unite to take on mental health, su***de, prostate cancer and testicular cancer.

21/11/2025

A huge thank you to Paula Barker MP and your team for taking the time to share our service information. We are truly grateful for your support.

Raising awareness is such an important part of the work we do. So many people don’t know that free, independent bereavement support exists, and this may help families find us at a time when they often feel overwhelmed and unsure of where to turn or what to do next.

At Funeral Experts, our focus is on providing people with the space, support and reassurance they need during some of life’s most challenging moments. Whether it’s understanding next steps, navigating practical tasks, or simply having someone to talk to, we’re here to help.

If you or someone you know is facing bereavement or has recently lost a loved one, please reach out; you don’t have to manage this alone 🧡

📞 0800 086 8887
🌐 www.funeralexperts.com

20/11/2025

❗Bereavement Support Payment – Supreme Court Judgment Update ❗

You may have been following the recent case of R (on the application of Jwanczuk) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, as we have at Funeral Experts.

The Supreme Court has confirmed that, for Bereavement Support Payment (BSP), the person who died must have paid sufficient National Insurance contributions in one full tax year. This applies even if they were unable to work due to disability.

This means the contribution condition still applies in all cases, and no exemption has been created for people who were long-term disabled and unable to work.

We understand this may be important for families who are unsure about their entitlements after a bereavement. If you need help understanding what financial support may be available, our team at Funeral Experts can provide clear guidance and a benefits check to support you at what can be an overwhelming time.

Further information:
🔗 Press Summary:https://supremecourt.uk/uploads/uksc_2023_0152_press_summary_72fa272953.pdf

🔗 Full Judgment:https://supremecourt.uk/uploads/uksc_2023_0152_judgment_6ae4ed1945.pdf

🔗 Case Overview: https://www.supremecourt.uk/cases/uksc-2023-0152

20/11/2025

🟠 Day Four – National Safeguarding Adults Week: Trust Your Instincts 🟠

Today is about trusting your instincts and speaking up when something doesn't feel right.

During bereavement, people can be at their most vulnerable – emotionally overwhelmed, financially exposed, and navigating unfamiliar processes while grieving. This is when risks of abuse, neglect, or exploitation can emerge.

At Funeral Experts, safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. All our staff receive safeguarding training, and we have a dedicated Safeguarding and Wellbeing Lead to ensure people are supported and protected in line with recognised safeguarding responsibilities.

🟠 Trusting your instincts means noticing when:

*Someone is being rushed into decisions they don't fully understand

*Financial pressure or exploitation may be occurring

*A person seems isolated from their usual support network

*Information is being withheld, unclear, or inconsistent

*There are indicators of abuse, neglect, coercion or undue influence

*Someone shows signs of a mental health crisis

*A bereaved person appears frightened, distressed, or unable to speak freely

🟠 Speaking up means:

*Acting on concerns, even if you’re not completely certain – instincts matter

*Understanding that no concern is too small when it comes to someone’s safety

*Reaching out for support if you feel vulnerable or unsure yourself

*Recognising that early intervention can prevent harm and ensure the right help is provided

*We follow clear safeguarding pathways and work with local authorities and relevant agencies to help keep vulnerable adults safe during one of life’s most difficult times.

🧡 Your instincts matter. If something doesn’t feel right, speak up, it could make all the difference. 🧡

19/11/2025

✨Child Grief Awareness Week ✨

Child Grief Awareness Week reminds us how important it is to recognise, understand and support children and young people who are navigating the death of someone important to them.

At Funeral Experts, we see every day how grief affects whole families. When a child is grieving, the impact can be profound, long-lasting, and often unseen by others. No child should ever feel they have to make sense of that pain alone.

We are proud to work alongside Child Bereavement UK, ensuring families can access specialist, age-appropriate support when they need it most. Their team provides expert guidance, resources, and counselling that help children express their feelings safely, understand what has happened, and begin to develop coping tools for the future.

Within our own service, we take a trauma-informed and family-centred approach. When we support parents and caregivers with emotional and practical matters, such as benefits, housing, funeral arrangements, and broader bereavement tasks, we also consider the needs of children in the household.

Our team is fully safeguarding trained, enhanced DBS checked, and confident in identifying when a child may need additional support or when specialist signposting is required.

This week, we join organisations across the UK in raising awareness, challenging stigma, and encouraging open and compassionate conversations about childhood grief.

🧡Every child deserves patience, understanding, and a safe space to talk 🧡

If you or someone you know needs support, reaching out can be the first step toward healing.

Young people we’ve supported tell us it helps to have someone to listen to them, and to have time to talk and build memories.

To find out how you can access an online group after an initial appointment, call our Helpline on 0800 02 888 40 or Live Chat via our website.

19/11/2025

🟠 Day Three – National Safeguarding Adults Week: Creating Empowering Environments 🟠

Today is about what it feels like to be supported, not just the support that’s offered.

Empowering environments are places where people feel listened to, included, understood, and supported in making their own choices, even during times of grief and uncertainty.

At Funeral Experts, empowerment is part of everything we do. We focus on creating spaces where people feel safe, informed and confident at a time when so much can feel overwhelming.

Creating empowering, trauma-informed environments means:

🟠 Seeing the person before the situation - Recognising that grief, trauma, stress and past experiences all shape how someone copes.

🟠 Providing clear information so people stay involved - We help people understand their situation, their rights and the options available, whether that relates to funeral arrangements, benefits, housing or practical bereavement tasks. Clear information helps people stay included and in control.

🟠 Supporting people in the way that feels right for them - With consent, we can help with tasks that feel overwhelming. When people want to manage things themselves, we make sure they have the information and confidence they need.

🟠 Creating emotional safety - Using calm, patient and compassionate communication so people feel heard, respected and able to talk openly about what they need.

🟠 Building staff confidence - Making sure our team has the training and reflective support needed to handle sensitive situations with care.

🟠 Building trust through consistency - Empowerment grows when people know they’ll be met with honesty, understanding and clear information every time they reach out.

When people feel empowered, they make clearer decisions, feel more in control, and can navigate bereavement at a pace that feels right for them.

🧡 Empowerment happens through clear information, compassion and consistency. 🧡