Coronavirus Pandemic - FAQs

Yes. We have continued to provide respectful funerals throughout the pandemic and will continue to do so now restrictions are being eased.

Funerals and linked commemorative events following a death such as a wake, headstone setting or scattering of ashes can take place in COVID-Secure venues. The number of people who can attend is in most cases determined by how many attendees a venue can safely accommodate, with social distancing measures in place.

If you need to arrange a funeral, please contact us and we will provide you with the most up to date guidance. We’re here to help.

If you are affected by Coronavirus or you are self-isolating, we have processes in place that will ensure we can still arrange a funeral with you. Please call us first before coming to a branch so that we can give you the correct guidance. 

For example, you can make most arrangements over the phone and we can email or post key documents and forms. 

Right now, funerals are being arranged as usual - but there may be some impact on timings depending on your location and desired service venue.

Please call us if you need to arrange a funeral and we will be able to give you the most up to date guidance.

Delays and flexibility on timings are possible but limited, and we will do everything we can to find a date that suits you. However, you need to be aware that delaying may mean that further restrictions are in place in the future based on the Goverment guidance at that time

It is advised that only a modest number of family and friends of the deceased should travel to and attend the funeral. The number of attendees should be kept as low as possible to ensure social distancing can be maintained.

The venue will determine the maximum number of attendees that they can safely accommodate whilst also maintaining social distancing. The number of attendees should not exceed 30 in England and 20 in Scotland. In Wales and Northern Ireland, the maximum number of attendees depends on the size of the venue.

We will be able to provide you with the most up to date guidance on your preferred service location during any arrangements.

Right now, we can arrange both burials and cremations. 

But the situation is changing regularly. This may mean in the coming weeks there may be limitations to the services we can offer and arrangements already underway may have to change.  We will follow government guidance as it is updated. 

As a nationwide network of funeral directors and crematoria, we can work with colleagues and facilities in other branches nearby should we require additional support.

This means clients will receive the same high standards of care and service even if one of our funeral directors must close as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. 

If you would like to collect charitable donations on behalf of your loved one, the safest way to do this is online via a Dignity Funeral Notice, which will also enable people to leave messages of condolence for you to read. Our Funeral Notice service is provided free of charge and your Funeral Director will be able to guide you through how to do this.

If a congregational collection is an absolute necessity, we will supply a Dignity disposable donation box available on exit at venue and hand to you unopened immediately at the end of the service. We are not able to bring donated monies back to our premises.

It is advised only a modest number of family and friends of the deceased should travel to and attend the funeral.

You may be asked to make a record of the attendees of the funeral which will be provided (upon request) to a Test & Trace officer.

In Scotland, if the funeral service is held on our premises, we will need to collate a list of the attendees and hold the data for 21 days.

We are now able to offer a limited limousine service*. For your safety, we are fitting our limousines with a partition screen to protect you and your family. We will carry out a thorough deep clean ahead of your journey, as well as ensuring the vehicle is of the high standard you’d expect to attend the funeral of your loved one. Your Funeral Director will advise if this service is available to you.

*Excluding Northern Ireland.

Spending time with your loved one in a chapel of rest is still possible, but there are several changes and restrictions in place. We are doing all we can to support our clients and families with these services and it is always best to ask your funeral director what is available to you at the time.

Churches are now permitted to re-open and funerals may be carried out. The size and circumstance of the church will determine the maximum number that can be accommodated whilst also facilitating social distancing, but numbers should be minimised as much as possible. Please check with your local minister, church or funeral director who will be able to advise.

We will do our very best to conduct funerals in line with government guidance, however limitations may be implemented. We can assist in arranging memorials at a later date.

You will need to register the death of your loved one within five days from the date of death in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and eight days in Scotland. You can find contact details for your local register office on the GOV.UK website in England and Wales, the Directory of Registrars in Scotland or the General Register Office for Northern Ireland.

In light of current restrictions, your register office will arrange for the Medical Certificate of the Cause of Death (MCCD) to be sent to you without you needing to attend their premises in person.

The process may vary depending on where you live, but the register office will guide you through what you need to do.
This paperwork will need to be shared with your Funeral Director as part of the arrangement process. They will guide you through when and how you need to share it with them.

We are still able to offer face-to-face appointments in our funeral homes on condition that social distancing guidelines are met. In England, we encourage our colleagues to wear a face covering and we will respect the wishes of any client that wish us to do so. In England, clients can wear face coverings in our premises should they choose to do so. Face coverings are still required in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Funerals can be arranged over the telephone and information can be sent to you via email.

We are able to arrange funerals in your own home in line with social distancing guidelines and safety requirements.

Yes, we are able to arrange a funeral for your loved one. Please just make us aware of the situation when you call us and we'll take care of everything.

A maximum 6 passengers from up to two households, including support bubbles, can travel within each limousine.
Passengers must not be self-isolating or displaying coronavirus symptoms.

In England and Northern Ireland, wakes can take place in Covid-secure or outdoor venues but there may be restrictions on the number of attendees.

In Scotland, wakes in regulated venues can take place at levels 0-3. They are not permitted at level 4.

In Wales, wakes are not allowed in private homes at the current time but can be held within restrictions at Covid secure venues or outdoors

In England, the number of attendees will be determined by how many people the venue or outdoor space can safely accommodate with social distancing measures in place.

In Wales, 50 people can attend a wake if it is held outdoors and 30 people indoors at a Covid secure venue. These numbers do not include children under 11 years old or carers.

In England, face coverings are required by law in most indoor public places and on public transport. 

This means that in most settings including attending a funeral home or branch, face coverings are required by law. A full list of in-scope and exempt settings is available here.

Our staff across branches will take regular lateral flow tests and we encourage any customers attending a branch or funeral, to do the same.

Yes - if you have been invited and are a family member or friend of the deceased.

If you have been instructed by NHS Test and Trace to self-isolate because you have tested positive for COVID-19, or you are the close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, you should not attend a funeral due to the risk you pose to others. If you are legally required to self-isolate, you may only break self-isolation if attending the funeral of a close family member (for example, spouse, parent, sibling or grandparent).

Even if you are a close family member of the deceased, we strongly recommend that you attend remotely if possible. However, if after careful consideration of the risk, you choose to attend in person, it is essential that you take all of the following precautions*:

- Advise the funeral venue manager and other mourners in advance that you are in your self-isolation period

- Take extra care to keep your distance and avoid contact with another mourner who may be clinically vulnerable or clinically extremely vulnerable

- Maintain a distance of at least 2 metres at all times between you and other mourners. Other mourners need to be aware of this prior to attending

- Practise strict hand and respiratory hygiene

If you are in an extremely clinically vulnerable group, you can still attend a funeral if you wish to do so. However, you are not advised to attend if there are others attending who are self-isolating due to another member of the household being unwell with symptoms of Coronavirus. You should:

- Follow the general social distancing advice for the clinically vulnerable mourners and should maintain a distance of 2 metres away from others as a minimum

- Advise other attendees that you are an extremely clinically vulnerable person

- Travel to the venue via the safest route possible, preferably in a car alone or with someone from your household or support bubble

*Applies to England, Scotland and Wales only. Taken from GOV.UK on 05/11/2020

If anyone is suffering from symptoms of Coronavirus they should not attend a funeral service at all.

A large number of crematoriums are able to provide webcasting, which will enable those who can't attend to still be able to view the funeral service online rather than attending the crematorium. 

Individuals attending with the necessary device and airtime plan could video call someone who can't attend as an alternative solution as well.

Mourners who are not part of the same household or support bubble are advised to stay the recommended 2 metres apart from each other and avoid shaking hands or other physical contact. It is also advised that you do not share stationery items (orders of service, condolence cards) or pens amongst mourners who are not part of the same household or support bubble.

You should also follow the advice on social distancing when travelling to and from the funeral. If you are using shared transport with others that you do not normally meet and where social distancing is not possible, you should consider wearing a face covering.

The decision is down to the venue. If a venue has decided to restrict the maximum number of mourners they are allowing, we are not able to overrule their decision.

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, we have to deliver our services differently. However, where possible we will try to shoulder carry the coffin or casket. The use of a trolley is only for exceptional circumstances, where a shoulder carry is not possible.

If the family wish to bear the coffin, we are unable to have contact with the coffin thereafter.

In England, face coverings are required by law in most indoor public places and on public transport. 

This means that in most settings where a funeral is likely to take place, face coverings are required by law. These include places of worship, community centres, crematoria and burial ground chapels. A full list of in-scope and exempt settings is available here.

There are no exemptions for funerals.

Face coverings are not required in hospitality venues where food and drink are consumed (such as pubs, cafés and restaurants). 

Where a premises or part of a premises is being used for an event where the main activities include eating or drinking, face coverings are not required. This means some commemorative events may be exempt because eating and drinking is taking place.  

When taking place in an in-scope setting, face coverings must be worn in communal areas of the premises not being used for the event, such as in a hotel lobby when an event is taking place in a conference room.

Settings in which face coverings are required must display signage or take other measures to ensure customers are aware of the requirement to wear a face covering on their premises where there is no applicable exemption or reasonable excuse.

The police and police community support officers can enforce compliance if members of the public do not comply with this law without a reasonable excuse. Local authority enforcement officers can also use their enforcement powers against businesses for failing to display appropriate signage or breaching the prohibition against preventing someone from wearing a face covering.

Organisers shouldn't prevent customers or staff from wearing a face covering. It is against the law to prevent someone from wearing a face covering in a listed setting.

We already operate with the highest levels of hygiene and safety standards across all of our locations. However, we have implemented additional cleaning routines and procedures in line with guidance from Public Health England to ensure the safety of our staff and all visitors.  

We will do all we can to provide this service if it is what you want. We are taking daily guidance from Public Health England and there may be restrictions put in place on viewing those who have died as a result of COVID-19. 

Please speak to us and we will be able to provide full guidance on your individual circumstances 

Religious customs such as families washing and preparing the deceased can be observed but needs to comply with social distancing guidelines.

No – there are no additional costs if we have to care for your loved one for a longer period of time.

Yes – we will only charge for services we have carried out on your behalf.

We recognise this is a difficult time for everyone, with many people in unexpected financial circumstances. 

We have a range of different services to suit most budgets and we also have arrangements with FuneralSafe who may be able to offer financial assistance. Additionally, we can provide guidance and advice if you are eligible for financial support from the government. 

Yes, you can still pay your invoice online, by using our portal. Please make sure you have your invoice at hand, as you will be asked for the invoice reference number.

Yes, you can still purchase a Funeral Plan. If you aren’t able to visit one of our branches or partners, you can find out about the services we offer on our website or calling us on 0800 587 2541.

No – all our prices remain as normal.

If you are having difficulty paying for your plan or you would like to discuss any concerns you may have, please call us on 0800 587 2541. 

No, having Coronavirus does not affect your funeral plan, and does not stop you taking out a new funeral plan.

The Dignity Promise is unaffected by coronavirus.  Any customer who has purchased a plan with promise who has paid premiums for at least 12 months will be protected (subject to the terms and conditions). 

No. Dignity provides a guarantee to provide your selected funeral irrespective of any impact a fall in the value of the Trust.

We are able to offer most of the services included within our Funeral Plans. Where there are any limitations as a result of coronavirus, we will discuss these with you at the time.

We will do our best to meet the needs of our clients, while staying aligned to Government advice.

Dignity has a nationwide network of funeral directors, as well as a number of independent Funeral Directors who are able to carry out the services provided by a Dignity Funeral Plan.  

In the event of the Nominated Funeral Director being required to close, we will appoint an alternative locally and arranges will be made with you to minimise the inconvenience caused. 

This means clients will receive the same high standards of care and service even if one of our crematorium has to close or is affected by COVID-19. 

If a crematorium is forced to close we will work with you to find an alternative that is local and suitable for your requirements. 

Right now, we continue to manage the return of ashes as normal. This may be either us returning them to you or arranging for you to collect from the crematorium.

If collecting from the crematorium, this may be arranged to a suitable date after mobility restrictions are lifted across the UK

Right now, we continue to manage the return of ashes as normal. This may be either us returning them to you or arranging for you to collect from the crematorium.

If collecting from the crematorium, this may be arranged to a suitable date after mobility restrictions are lifted across the UK. If we are delivering the ashes to you, our staff will practise social distancing when the delivery takes place.

Effective April 21st 2020, Crematoria and Cemetery grounds will be open for visiting graves and remembrance gardens. Please ensure that any visits continue to respect social distancing guidelines at all times.

There are restrictions on the number of people who can attend a funeral service, based on the venue.