Pre-paid funeral plans are marketed heavily, and not always clearly. This is a plain-English explanation of what they are, what they do and do not cover, and how to decide whether one makes sense for you.
At Village Undertakers we recognise that a funeral plan is not for everyone. If you have money put aside for funeral costs Village Undertakers would instead recommend using our free funeral wishes service and avoid the added set-up costs of a funeral plan.
What a funeral plan is
A funeral plan lets you choose and pay for a funeral in advance, either as a lump sum or in instalments. When the time comes, the plan pays the funeral director you nominated, and your family does not have to find the money or make the decisions under pressure.
Since 2022, funeral plan providers have been regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, which brought in real protections that were missing before. Only buy from an FCA-regulated provider.
What is normally covered — and what is not
A plan typically covers the funeral director’s services in full: care of the person who has died, the coffin, the hearse and staff, and the arranging.
It usually includes an allowance towards third-party costs — the crematorium or burial fee, and the minister or celebrant. This is the part to look at carefully. If those costs rise faster than the allowance grows, there may be something left to pay at the time. A good provider will be upfront about how the allowance works.
Things like flowers, catering, a headstone and newspaper notices are usually not included unless you specifically add them.
The advantages
- Your family is not left guessing what you wanted
- The funeral director’s costs are fixed at today’s prices
- It removes a financial burden at a difficult time
- You can specify your preferred funeral director — in our case, that means a local person rather than whoever happens to be assigned
Things to check before you buy
- Is the provider FCA-regulated?
- Can I name the funeral director I actually want?
- Exactly what is covered, and what is left as an allowance?
- What happens if I move away, or change my mind?
- What happens if I die before instalments are complete?
A free alternative worth knowing about
If you are not sure a plan is right for you, there is a simpler option that costs nothing at all. We offer an informal conversation to talk through your funeral wishes and write them down. No products, no sales pitch — just a record of what you would like, which you can pass to whoever will be arranging things.
For a lot of people, that removes most of the worry without any financial commitment.
How we work
We are proud to partner with Golden Charter, one of the UK’s leading plan providers, which means you get the security of a large regulated provider combined with our personal, local service when the time comes.
To talk about either a plan or a free wishes conversation, call Robert on 07599 46 26 49.
Robert James Waddington T/A Village Undertakers is an introducer appointed representative of Golden Charter Limited trading as Golden Charter Funeral Plans, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 965279).