As funeral plan prices continue to rise we can help you fix your costs
In this guide: How funeral plans compare, what they cost, how they work & who are the top 10 UK funeral providers
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To choose the best funeral plans to suit your individual needs, consider the following:
Comparing funeral plans could save you money and help you choose the best plan; a plan that is safe and secure, regulated by the Funeral Planning Authority and delivers the funeral services as promised with no nasty surprises.
Not all prepaid plans are the same; cheap funeral plans that only include a contribution may save money initially, but could end up costing more in the long run which is why it can help to compare funeral plans.
Below, is a comparison of some of the UK’s leading funeral plan providers. Having compared the market, we have chosen to team up with Dignity, so if you would like a brochure or quote for any of their plans, we can help.
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Ashley is the founder and managing director at Over50choices. With over 30 years’ experience in financial services, he has held senior roles in building societies, banks and insurance companies.
Plan providers offer a range of funeral payment options suitable for all budgets. You can choose to pay in one go as shown above or by monthly instalments.
If you prefer to spread your costs you will pay more over the payment period as administration fees apply. However, many companies allow you to pay over a period of 12 months without incurring additional fees.
The good news is that with monthly funeral plans, your funeral costs will still be frozen at today’s prices avoiding future inflation. So you could still save your family a substantial amount of money.
Our can you pay for funerals monthly section provides more information on spreading the cost of a funeral plan.
Funeral plans cost between £2,900 to £4,300 depending on what’s included. For example, the quality of the coffin or whether you have cars for family. The cost of the funeral plan will include both the services of a funeral director and the funeral service however cheaper plans may have limitations.
Funeral plans vary so in addition to the cost also consider the services included – our pros and cons guide will guide you on what to look out for.
The cheapest funeral plans include a simple coffin, a hearse but no limousines, a service at the crematorium and the cremation fees. To reduce costs further, the time of the service may be restricted to early or late in the day. Alternatively, an even cheaper option is an unattended cremation.
When comparing plans, check which services are guaranteed and that the company is a member of the FPA. If the cost is more than you want topay, you may want to consider a direct cremation. This simple cremation without a funeral service is one of the cheapest funerals costing between £1,300 to £1,800.
A funeral plan is a way you can pre-pay and pre-plan your funeral. Pre-paying your funeral costs with a funeral plan can make life easier for family and save money by avoiding inflation. Pre-planning your funeral with a funeral plan means you choose the funeral service you want at today’s prices.
Funeral plans work by letting you make your own funeral arrangements, rather than leaving family to arrange everything. With either a single payment or monthly instalments, your funeral plan secures the services of a local funeral director, who when ready will take care of everything as detailed in your plan.
The funeral services included in prepaid plans fall into two categories;
Whilst all plans fully guarantee the funeral directors costs, for cremation funerals many plan providers only include a contribution towards the third party fees. This unfortunately means that there could be a shortfall when the time comes that your family will have to pay, so they could be left with a bill.
The following companies plans include contributions towards 3rd party costs: Avalon / Golden Charter / Perfect Choice / Safe Hands / Choice / Open Prepaid Funerals.
Dignity funeral plans along with some Co-op and Golden Leaves plans guarantee all of the services included in the plan for a cremation funeral, with no hidden charges.
In a recent survey, independent consumer research company Fairer Finance discovered that over 90% of people who purchased one of the ‘contribution plans’ thought that all of their cremation costs were guaranteed, which unfortunately wasn't the case.
Therefore when you are choosing the best funeral plan for you, look carefully as to how these costs are covered. For more information see our "What is a funeral plan" section.
It is important to compare plans and review the information available before deciding which funeral plan is right for you. As an independent company we have compared funeral plans uk wide and chosen to work with Dignity as our trusted partner.
We believe FPA registered Dignity offers excellent value for money and fully guarantees the cremation fees and ministers fees as well as the funeral director’s costs. So you can be reassured your family will have nothing more to pay for the services included in the plan, no matter when it is in the future. (Read our review for information on Dignity burials).
In addition, Defaqto the independent financial information business has conducted its own funeral plans comparison and has awarded the Dignity Diamond Plan 5 Stars.
Dignity low cost funeral plans provide complete reassurance for you and your family and a service you can trust, including:
To ensure your money is secure, we recommend you choose a provider that is registered with the Funeral Planning Authority (FPA). The FPA is an independent industry body that ensures all registered providers abide by its rules and strict code of practise as to how your money is held and the service you receive. (our ‘Are funeral plans safe’ section provides more information on how to ensure your plan is secure).
With Dignity your money is paid directly to the National Funeral Trust which is independently managed and audited.
All trusts are separate independently managed legal entities which are audited by independent accountants and auditors.
This means that should your funeral director go into liquidation, your money and funeral will be protected and the plan provider will reallocate your plan to another funeral director in your area.
And we will do the work for you.
You can request a brochure and receive an application form to complete and send back to us.
Save yourself the paperwork & apply online; just have your payment card ready
We will email you a brochure & application form for you to print & send back using FREEPOST.
This is really just another name for an Over 50 life cover policy, which pays out a cash sum when you die that the majority of families use to help with funeral costs; hence the name funeral insurance cover.
So if you are looking to put plans in place in advance that will help with paying for a funeral, you can either choose a funeral plan as previously explained or an Over 50 plan.
If you have the funds available, then a funeral plan lets you freeze your costs at today’s prices meaning you avoid funeral inflation, however if you prefer to stick to a lower monthly budget or give your family the flexibility of having a cash lump sum, you may wish to consider the over 50s life insurance option.
Which ever option of funeral insurance cover you choose, read our reviews and comparisons so you can be certain of choosing the best plan for you.
For those looking to save money or wanting a more simple cremation plan, then you may want to consider direct cremation. It is quite simply the cremation process but without the funeral service; so no family or friends in attendance.
Whilst they may not be suitable for everyone, at half the price of a more traditional funeral, it could appeal to those looking for cheaper funeral options. However the large majority of people who buy these types of cremation only plans are those who either don’t want the upset or fuss of a funeral service.
With prices starting from around £1,400 you can compare some of the cheapest direct cremation plans in our guide or you can request a brochure.
Over 50 funeral plans are plans designed for the over 50s that provide and pay for your chosen funeral services in advance, as detailed in the plan. Do not mistake them with Over 50 plans which are life insurance plans that pay out a cash sum when you die.
Both types of plan are usually marketed as funeral payment options so it is important to understand the differences.
With most prepaid plans the cover can be adapted for either a burial or cremation funeral and the Dignity funeral plan is no exception. In fact if you are unsure whether you prefer a cremation or burial but just feel you want to put the funds in place to pay for the funeral, then Dignity offer an ‘undecided’ option, so you can choose at a later date or leave the decision to your family if you prefer.
The first point to note about a burial plan is that no funeral planning company will pay for your plot, which could add a considerable cost to your funeral arrangements, typically between £500 to over £1,500 depending on where you live.
The Dignity Plan offers flexibility with one of the largest allowances of £1,220 towards your burial costs, which can be used towards any aspect of the fees, including the cost of the plot. In addition, unlike many other providers, if there is any money left over from the allowance, this will be returned to your estate.
You don't have to purchase your plot at the same time as taking out the funeral plan, you can either do it at a later date or leave this to your family to sort out when the time comes (using the money left from the allowance to help with the cost).
If you are looking for a funeral plan and you live in Spain, Portugal, Cyprus and the Canaries, or you have a second home in any of these countries, then we have a European funeral plan that will provide cover for arranging a funeral either there, or here in the UK.
Quite simply if you think some time on the future you may choose to move to, or buy a second home abroad, then this plan will give you the flexibility, no matter whether you are drinking sangria in Spain or tea in Torquay.
Research carried out by SunLife shows average funeral costs in the UK at *£4,184; this figure does not include flowers, memorials, wakes, notices or probate fees. To see the impact inflation could have on the average cost of a funeral in years to come if costs continue to rise at a similar rate, take a look at our funeral calculator.
Yes, funeral plans usually provide national coverage throughout the UK, so it doesn’t matter where you live – there will always be a funeral director local to you..
A funeral Plan freezes your costs at today’s prices so there will be nothing more to pay for the guaranteed services included, no matter when it is in the future, be it 20 or even 30 years time. If you have chosen a ‘contribution style’ funeral plan, there could be more to pay for the cremation and minister’s fees; depending on how much these costs have increased compared to the allowance included in your plan.
When the time comes, instead of your family receiving a cash lump sum, your plan provider will pay the funeral director directly so your family won’t have the worry. There will be nothing more to pay for the funeral services that are guaranteed in the plan.
An over 50 life insurance plan is a completely different type of policy that pays out a cash sum that families often use to help pay for funeral costs. This is why when people talk about funeral insurance, they often get confused between a funeral plan and an over 50s plan.
An over 50 life insurance plan as mentioned pays out a cash sum when you die that can be used to help with funeral costs, pay outstanding bills or left as a gift to family members. If it is used to help pay for the funeral, then the family will still have to make the arrangements and as inflation reduces the cash sum paid out over time, there could be more for them to pay – it all depends on the cash sum paid out versus funeral costs at that time.
A funeral plan on the other hand freezes your funeral costs at today’s prices so guarantees your family will never have anything more to pay for the services included.
The plan provider will arrange for the services of a funeral director who is in your area.
All plans provided by national funeral planning companies are flexible and portable, so if you move, the plan moves with you. You simply contact your funeral planning company to let them know your new address and they will move the plan to a funeral director local to your new home.
Whilst some plan providers like Dignity do not charge for this service, please be aware that some providers, like Golden Charter for example do not guarantee that you won't have more to pay, it all depends on the costs in your new area.
Yes, you may wish to add your “wishes” to the plan so that your next of kin knows what you want when the time comes, for example, music, hymns, reception or you can fully bespoke a plan.
We help you compare funeral plans UK wide providing information, guides and funeral plan reviews so you can be fully informed prior to making your decision. We have chosen to work with Dignity as our trsuted partner as we believe they offer excellent value for money, guaranteeing not only the cost of a funeral director but also the cremation and ministers fees at today's prices.
The Funeral Planning Authority or FPA as they are also referred to are the regulatory body for funeral plans, their role being to ensure registered members comply with their strictest of rules and strict code of practise as to the service you receive and how your money is held.
In order to register with the Funeral Planning authority, plan providers must demonstrate they comply with these rules; something they have to do on an ongoing basis as they have to re-register annually.
Yes you can buy funeral insurance for someone else. You will be able to specify this when applying for the plan by adding yourself as plan representative. As the plan purchaser and representative, all correspondence will be sent directly to you if you wish.
No you don’t. Your application will be accepted regardless of your state of health.
The Dignity funeral plan is available to anyone over the age of 40 however there are other under 50 funeral plans that are suitable for anyone over the age of 18.
Yes, we can arrange this for you.
The costs will depend on your requirements, as some people will just require an eco-friendly coffin whereas others prefer a fully carbon neutral service. Green funeral plans are increasing in popularity but generally are more expensive.
In addition to Over50choices there are a few other websites that allow you to compare funeral plans uk wide, but the large comparison sites; Go Compare, Confused, Money and Martin Lewis' Moneysavingexpert as of yet are not providing this service.
Don’t forget, if you are looking at funeral insurance you may also want to compare over 50 life insurance which many people use to help with funeral costs.
As an independent company we believe that the Dignity funeral plan offers security and reassurance for the family with no hidden costs.
Of course we recognise that other plan providers that are regulated by the Funeral Planning Authority are worth considering, particularly if you have a preferred funeral director that only accepts one funeral planning company's plans.
Dignity also provide plans for Age UK and the Post Office, in addition to other leading brands, such as the Skipton Building Society.
Yes, most funeral planning companies offer payments over 12 months at no extra cost and then instalment options of up to 25 years depending on your age. Understandably most funeral plan providers will have a threshold by which the payments should be complete.
If anything were to happen to you before you have completed your instalments, then the money you have paid into the plan would go towards the funeral costs and the family would just need to pay the balance, based on the original amount agreed.
Therefore although you pay more for an instalment plan, it can still save money as you are freezing your costs at today’s prices therefore avoiding future inflation. Also your family will have the money you have paid into the plan up to that point to help with the funeral costs.
Defaqto is an independent financial information business. They collect product data from the whole of market and make it comparable to help consumers, like you, make better decisions. They are not customer reviews, in our case we ask Trustpilot to independently ask customers for these.
They have reviewed the funeral plan market in the UK and rated funeral plans on a scale of 1 to 5 based on quality and comprehensiveness of the features and benefits of each plan.
A 4 or 5 Star Rating indicates that a product represents one of the best quality offerings in the market. A 1 Star Rating indicates a basic plan with a low level of features and benefits.
The Dignity Diamond Plan was only 1 of 5 funeral plans that was awarded 5 Stars. The others were; AgeUK Rowan Plan, Co-op Funeralcare Gold Plan, Lincolnshire Co-op Funeral Services Lincoln Plan and Post Office Money Premium Plan.
The cheapest funeral plan you can have is a direct cremation, which costs between £1,300 to £1,800.
A direct cremation is a cremation but without a funeral service - there are no mourners in attendance. This is a more affordable and cheaper option than a traditional funeral, although the majority of people choosing this low cost option do so as they prefer a simple no frills option without the fuss of family and friends attending.
If you prefer a more traditional plan, many providers now offer budget funeral plans that have certain restrictions such as the time of the funeral service. So you can take advantage of the benefits of a prepaid plan whilst sticking to a budget.
If you die whilst abroad your repatriation cover on your travel insurance if you have it would get you back home and then the funeral director will provide the funeral services as outlined in your prepaid plan.
Alternatively if the family decide to have the funeral abroad, they can cancel the plan and receive a full refund minus the cancellation fee.
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