Aura’s Funeral Plan Process: What Happens When The Time Comes

At Aura, we believe a funeral plan is one of the most thoughtful gifts you can leave for your loved ones. By making these arrangements in advance, you’re relieving your family of difficult decisions during a challenging time and giving yourself the comfort of knowing everything is taken care of. It’s a truly meaningful act of love and care to protect those you leave behind.

We want you to have complete confidence in your Aura funeral plan and peace of mind for the future. That’s why this article will cover our exact process to give you a clear understanding of what happens when the time comes. From how we’ll care for you to how we’ll support your family, we want you to have all the information you need to feel at ease.

Organising a funeral plan with Aura

Planning ahead for your funeral can feel like a big step for some, but it’s really about giving yourself and your family peace of mind. At Aura, we’ve made the process as straightforward and reassuring as possible, with our friendly team ready to guide you every step of the way.

We’ll listen carefully to your needs, answer any questions you have, and help you select the plan that’s right for you. You can make your purchase over the phone, online, or through a paper application form. Once your plan is set up, we’ll send you the summary documents for your funeral plan in the mail. These will include everything you need to know and serve as a clear guide for your loved ones when the time comes.

Nominated representative

As part of setting up your Aura funeral plan, you will be asked to name a nominated representative. This person should be someone you trust to handle the details of your funeral. When you have passed, they will be our main point of contact, helping ensure your wishes are followed as we handle your care and the key details of your cremation.

We take client confidentiality very seriously. To protect your privacy, we’ll only share details about your funeral plan with the person named as your nominated representative. If they’d like to involve other close family members or friends, they can give us explicit consent to share information. This can be done quickly and easily by phone or email, making sure everyone is informed and on the same page.

What happens when you pass away

When the time comes, we’ll be there to support your family every step of the way. Every person who turns to us receives dedicated care from our Aura Angels – a compassionate team of funeral experts. From helping with paperwork and organising care to simply offering a listening ear, they’ll be here whenever your family needs them.

We understand that everyone’s needs are different. Some families may want to manage the details themselves, while others appreciate more hands-on assistance. Whatever your family prefers, we’ll be there to offer as much support as they need.

Step one: Initial phone call

Your family may want to spend some time with you after you pass. When they are ready, the person you named as your nominated representative should reach out to our team to begin the process. Our Aura Angels are just one phone call away and will immediately take care of organising your care and collection.

We understand that this can be a deeply emotional time, and our goal is to make the process as easy and respectful as possible.

During the initial phone call, the nominated representative can expect to answer a few questions and may need to provide essential details to help our team identify the funeral plan.

Key information required during the first call includes:

• The name and address of the plan holder or the plan number (which can be found on the Funeral Plan Summary documents)
• The address where you are resting after passing away (e.g., hospital, care home, private residence)
• If there are any urgent collection requirements

If the nominated representative is comfortable doing so, our Aura Angels will gather the additional information needed to complete the cremation paperwork. However, if they need more time, this can be completed later. 

This information includes:

• Planholder’s full name, address, and date of birth
• Occupation and marital status
• Time and date of death
• Executor’s details (if this is different from the nominated representative)
• GP and surgery details, as well as information about any medical implants
• Ashes preferences

Our Aura Angel team will also need to confirm a few statements regarding the cremation process, ensuring that all required information is in place before proceeding.

Step 2: Arranging collection and care

Once the initial details have been gathered over the phone, our team will arrange for our care partner to collect you. The timing of this depends on where you are resting when you pass.

• If you pass away in a hospital, the collection will be arranged in a timely manner, possibly within 72 hours, but this will depend on the hospital’s schedule.
• Depending on the circumstances, collection can occur within 6 hours in residential settings like care homes or private residences.
• If the death is referred to a coroner, we will need to wait until their investigation is completed before we can arrange collection.

You will be collected in a private ambulance and brought into our care. We work with trusted care centres across Great Britain to prepare those who have passed for their cremation. While we always aim to keep you close to home, we cannot guarantee that the care centre will be local to you.

When you arrive at one of our care centres, you will be treated with the utmost compassion and respect. Our team of professionals will gently wash and dress you before placing you inside a simple coffin. Your family can provide clothing of their choice or we will provide a simple white gown. 

Every step of the process is carefully managed to ensure that your identity is always known and verified, ensuring there is never a mix-up at any stage.

Step 3: Paperwork and legal requirements

To ensure the cremation can proceed, your nominated representative will need to complete a few forms. Their dedicated Aura Angel will be there to guide them through every step. These forms include:

• Preliminary Booking Form: This is a simple form to confirm the cremation booking at the crematorium.
• Cremation Form 1 (A1 Form in Scotland): This is required for the cremation process and includes details of the person who has passed.

Both forms will need to be signed and returned to our team before we can proceed with the cremation.

In addition, some important cremation forms and documents will be issued by the local authorities at the registrar’s office when your family registers your death, including:

• The death certificate
• Certificate for burial or cremation which is also known as the green form (not needed in Scotland)

While we won’t need a copy of the death certificate, we will require the green form if you are in England or Wales.

Step 4: The Cremation Process

Once the death has been registered and the paperwork is complete, your Aura Angel will schedule the cremation. The process varies depending on whether you have an unattended or attended cremation plan.

Unattended cremation plan

For an unattended cremation, our team will arrange for the cremation to take place at the nearest available crematorium within our network. While we do our best to consider your family’s preferences for the location, specific requests cannot always be guaranteed.

Subject to the crematorium’s availability, your nominated representative may be able to select a preferred date and time. Even if our team preselected the date and time, your family can be notified, allowing them to mark the moment in their own way.

On the day of the cremation, you will be transported from the care centre to the crematorium in a private ambulance. As your coffin is placed on the catafalque, we can arrange for a song of your family’s choosing to be played. Our crematorium assistants will honour a moment of silence and offer their respects before the cremation begins.

Attended cremation plan

For an attended cremation, you can choose the crematorium from within our network where you would like the service to take place. Your family will have the opportunity to suggest a preferred date and time, though this will depend on the crematorium’s availability.

To personalise the service, your family can add visual tributes and a slideshow of images for an additional cost if they would like to. Your family may also want to arrange floral arrangements, orders of service, or a limousine although we can’t arrange a vehicle procession with your coffin. We can also arrange music to play in the crematorium during the service.

If needed, we can connect your family with the Association of International Celebrants to help find a local celebrant to conduct the service. Alternatively, family and friends are welcome to lead the funeral with readings, shared memories, and moments of reflection.

Step 5: After The Cremation

When the cremation is complete, the crematorium assistant will carefully process the ashes. There are two options for what happens next:

Scattered at the Crematorium: Your ashes can be scattered in the crematorium’s Garden of Remembrance. If this option is chosen, your family will be informed of the specific crematorium and the date of the scattering.

Hand-Delivered to a Loved One: Alternatively, your ashes can be sent to a loved one within 21 days at no extra cost. They will be hand-delivered in a scatter tube ready to be placed in an urn, spread in a meaningful location or any other unique ideas for your ashes you may have.

Compassionate Support at Every Step

Planning ahead with an Aura funeral plan is a simple yet powerful way to give yourself and your family peace of mind. Knowing that everything is taken care of means you can focus on living life to the fullest, with the comfort of knowing we’ll be here when your family needs us most, offering compassionate care and support every step of the way.

We’re incredibly proud of the trust our clients place in us. With hundreds of glowing reviews on Trustpilot and two five-star-rated plans from the experts at Fairer Finance, you can feel confident that you’re making the right choice.

If you have any questions or feel ready to choose Aura for your funeral plan, our friendly team is always here to help. Get in touch whenever you’re ready.