Top 10 funeral plans 2020
Recent research suggests that the best funeral plans in the UK are:
- Co-op Funeralcare – Gold Plan
- Co-op Funeralcare – Silver Plan
- Safe Hands – Sapphire Plan
- Avalon – Windsor Way Plan
- Golden Charter – Premier Plan
- Age UK – Rowan Plan
- Open Prepaid – Select Plan
- Golden Leaves – Platinum Plan
- Avalon – Highgrove Plan
- Dignity Diamond – Diamond Plan.
Which is the best funeral plan?
The above funeral plans are highly rated, however, the best funeral plan for you really depends on your own personal preference.
Comparing multiple quotes will help you decipher which is the best funeral plan, at the best price for you.
At Reassured, we can compare FPA approved funeral plans on your behalf, saving you time and money.
All our funeral plans come with a best price guarantee*.
Contact our award-winning team today to secure your best funeral plan – we don’t charge a fee for our service.
Read on for all our top tips on finding your best funeral plan…
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What are the best funeral plans?
The best funeral plans offer the most services, cover all the essential costs and provide the most flexibility, at the most competitive price.
This means, the best funeral plan will offer the best value for money, which will ultimately provide the best financial protection for your loved ones.
(And best value for money doesn’t necessarily mean the cheapest!)
Unsure whether to take out a funeral plan or life insurance? Read our in-depth article on the pros and cons of funeral plans »
So, how do you know you’re getting the best value for money from a funeral plan?
Firstly, ensure that the funeral plan offers all the main elements required for a funeral.
These usually include:
- Transportation, care and preparation of the deceased
- Assistance with funeral arrangements
- Support and guidance for loved ones by the funeral director
- Use of the chapel of rest
- A funeral service
- Limousines for the funeral procession
- A hearse
- A coffin.
Secondly, you may want to establish if your funeral plan includes any additional benefits or services, (at no extra cost).
These may include:
- Embalming of the deceased
- Pallbearers to carry the coffin
- An order of service
- Thank you cards
- Bereavement or counselling services
- Use of customer rewards and benefits
- Professional will-writing service.
Thirdly, it’s sensible to ensure that the funeral plan:
- Has a flexible cancellation policy
- Is available with a funeral director of your choice (if required)
- Can be added to, amended, upgraded or downgraded if necessary
- Is approved by the Funeral Planning Authority (FPA).
And finally, the best value funeral plans will also:
- Guarantee to cover third-party fees including cremation or burial costs
- Guarantee to cover funeral costs if you pass away early**.
You can benefit from both the above with a funeral plan arranged through Reassured.
Simply contact our award-winning team today to arrange your funeral insurance.
Funeral plan comparison
Every funeral plan provider offers its own set of prepaid funeral plan packages.
Each package will offer a different level of service, starting from a basic level that includes mostly the essential elements of a funeral, to a more comprehensive level.
The upfront cost of a funeral plan ranges from approximately £2,000 to £4,800.
The tables below show comparisons of some of the cheapest and most expensive funeral plans for a basic, standard and comprehensive level (for either a burial or cremation).
Using these examples may help you identify which funeral plan offer the best value for money.
Basic prepaid funeral plans comparison
| Plan | Full upfront cost | Cremation fees (UK average £991) | Burial fees (UK average £2,333) | Doctors fees (£164) | Cancellation fee | Limousine | Collection of body | Use of chapel of rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avalon Balmoral Plan | £3,645 | £1,000 contribution | £1,000 contribution | Included under contribution | £395 | No | Anywhere in the UK | No |
| Co-op Simple Plan | £3,295 | Guaranteed | Guaranteed | Guaranteed | £250 | No | 50 miles maximum | Yes |
| Golden Leaves Zinc Plan | £2,859 | £840 contribution | £840 contribution | Not included | £579 | No | 25 miles maximum | Yes |
This is a comparison of three basic funeral plan packages, offered by Avalon, Co-op and Golden Leaves.
The most noticeable difference here is that the most expensive basic plan provided by Avalon doesn’t guarantee to cover any third-party fees, (the cremation and/or burial fees and doctor fees).
The Co-op Simple plan is the only funeral plan that guarantees to cover all third-party fees.
Furthermore, the Avalon plan doesn’t offer use of the chapel of rest, which is where loved ones can view the body as part of the funeral.
Although, the Avalon plans do offer collection of the deceased from anywhere in the UK.
Standard prepaid funeral plans comparison
| Plan | Full upfront cost | Cremation fees (UK average £991) | Burial fees (UK average £2,333) | Doctors fees (£164) | Cancellation fee | Limousine | Collection of body | Use of chapel of rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avalon Highgrove Plan | £3,995 | £1,000 contribution | £1,000 contribution | Included under contribution | £395 | x 1 | Anywhere in the UK | Yes |
| Co-op Silver Plan | £3,950 | Guaranteed | Guaranteed | Guaranteed | £250 | x 1 | 50 miles maximum | Yes |
| Golden Silver Plan | £3,364 | Guaranteed | £840 contribution | Not included | £673 | No | 25 miles maximum | Yes |
This is a comparison of three standard funeral plan packages, offered by Avalon, Co-op and Golden Leaves.
Again, the most expensive standard plan provided by Avalon doesn’t guarantee any third-party fees.
You may also notice that the Golden leaves Silver plan doesn’t offer a limousine for the funeral procession, but this is the cheapest of the three plans.
Comprehensive prepaid funeral plans comparison
| Plan | Full upfront cost | Cremation fees (UK average £991) | Burial fees (UK average £2,333) | Doctors fees (£164) | Cancellation fee | Limousine | Collection of body | Use of chapel of rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avalon Windsor Way Plan | £4,245 | £1,000 contribution | £1,000 contribution | Included under contribution | £395 | x 2 | Anywhere in the UK | Yes |
| Co-op Gold Plan | £4,199 | Guaranteed | Guaranteed | Guaranteed | £250 | x 2 | 50 miles maximum | Yes |
| Golden Leaves Platinum Plan | £3,969 | Guaranteed | £840 contribution | Not included | £794 | x 2 | 25 miles maximum | Yes |
This is a comparison of three comprehensive funeral plan packages, offered by Avalon, Co-op and Golden Leaves.
Again, even as the most expensive plan on the market[1], Avalon provides only a contribution towards third-party fees.
The Co-op Gold Plan is the only plan that guarantees to cover all third-party fees.
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What are third party fees?
Third-party costs refer to additional costs separate from that of the funeral director.
Most funeral plans will only cover funeral director costs and not third-party costs.
Third-party costs make up to on average 30% of the total funeral cost:
- Minister fees (£169)
- Doctor fees (£164)
- Cremation fees (£838) or burial fees (£1,955)[2].
These costs will also vary depending on the funeral location.
For example, burial and cremation fees are much higher in London, compared with other regions of the UK.
Many providers will provide a contribution towards third-party fees, like Avalon funerals, however, this amount will vary depending on the plan.
Whatever isn’t covered by this contribution is then recovered from your estate or falls to your loved ones to settle.
Recovering funds from your estate can take 6 – 9 months and sometimes several years due to the probate process. This means your loved ones may have to pay upfront for the additional costs initially.
Therefore, the best funeral plan will guarantee to cover all funeral costs, including third-party fees, reducing any financial disruption to your loved ones.
All funeral plans arranged through Reassured guarantee to cover all third-party fees, no matter how much costs rise or where you live.
Saving you, and your loved ones, money on the best funeral plans.
Will the best funeral plan include a ceremony?
Not all funeral plans provide the opportunity for your family to hold a funeral service.
This means that your body is transported straight from the funeral directors to the crematorium or place of burial, without the opportunity for your loved ones to pay their respects.
If having a ceremony is important to you, then you may want to ensure the selected plan provides this.
All funeral plans arranged through Reassured include the option to have a funeral service.
The funeral director will liaise with the minister when the time comes to make arrangements for the day.
To help understand which type of funeral best meets your needs, see our in-depth guide to planning a funeral.
Passing away before payments are complete
Fortunately, if you pass away before your funeral plan payment is complete, your investment isn’t lost.
In some cases, though, it could affect the level of service you receive and may pass some financial responsibility onto your loved ones.
There are usually 3 different funeral plan payments options, but this may vary with each provider:
- One-off single payment
- 12 interest-free monthly payments
- Monthly payment instalment plan 2 – 30 years (incurs interest).
The monthly payment option you opt for will influence the outcome if you were to pass away before your plan has been paid off.
In most cases, if you were to pass away within 12 months, then the funeral provider will require the remaining balance from your estate in order to deliver the services included in your plan.
With some monthly instalment plans over 2 – 30 years, passing away within the first 12 or 24 months will result in all monies paid in (minus interest) to be returned.
Passing away after 12 or 24 months of an instalment payment plan will usually result in the remaining balance of the plan being requested from your estate or from loved ones arranging the funeral.
However, if you pay by instalment plan, the best funeral plans will guarantee to cover your funeral costs if you pass away after the first 12 months.
As long as all instalments are up to date prior to your death, all services included in your plan will still be delivered, (at no extra cost to your family).
At Reassured, all our funeral plans guarantee to cover funeral costs if you pass away earlier than expected.
Enquire today with our award-winning funeral plan team to take advantage of this benefit.
Will the best funeral plan allow visitation to the place of rest?
The deceased is usually held in the chapel of rest at the funeral home until the day of the funeral.
Some of the cheaper funeral plans won’t provide the opportunity for loved ones to visit the chapel of rest.
But for many, this is an important part of the grieving process.
If you think your loved ones would like the opportunity to pay their respects at a private visit to the chapel of rest, then be sure that this option is included in your chosen plan.
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How secure is your money?
The Funeral Planning Authority (FPA) regulate funeral plans to ensure safety for those who buy them.
Funeral plan providers opt into FPA regulation and agree to follow a set of guidelines set by the authority.
It is not compulsory and currently approximately 95% of plans are FPA regulated.
All funeral plans arranged through Reassured are FPA regulated.
We’re also FCA regulated and use all of the same FCA approved processes when arranging your funeral plan to ensure ultimate safety for our customers.
Get in touch today to make the most of our award-winning brokerage services.
The best funeral plans aren’t always the cheapest funeral plans
It can be tempting to automatically opt for the cheapest prepaid funeral plan available.
But, choosing the cheapest funeral plan doesn’t mean you’re choosing the best value for money funeral plan.
For example, many of the basic funeral plans don’t cover third party fees (such as cremation and burial costs), which can be several thousands of pounds.
Choosing a plan that costs a few hundred pounds more and does include third party fees, will save your family this additional expense when the time comes.
As mentioned, funeral plans arranged through Reassured do include all third-party fees, for that extra peace of mind.
Furthermore, the cheapest funeral plans sometimes charge larger cancellation fees.
For example, Golden Leaves offer the cheapest standard and comprehensive plans in the market, yet charge a cancellation fee of £673 and £744 respectively.
The cost of funeral services vary across the UK
Some funeral plan prices are based on a national average, rather the actual cost of a funeral plan in your region.
This is because some plan providers work with independent funeral directors, rather than their own network of directors.
Therefore, at the discretion of your local funeral director, the price advertised on the plan provider’s website may not be the price you pay.
At Reassured, all our funeral plans offer a fixed price no matter where you live in the UK, so you know exactly how much you’re paying.
Best price guarantee*
You could benefit from the best price guarantee* by taking out a funeral plan through Reassured.
Simply provide us with a like for like quote on your preferred funeral plan and we’ll match it.
Please note, this guarantee is not available with instalment payment plan option.
Buy your best funeral plan
Secure the best prepaid funeral plan to fulfil all your wishes, plus save time and money, by using an FCA registered broker.
With so many things to consider and such a variety of plans available, choosing the right funeral plan to suit your needs can be daunting.
Using an independent broker, such as Reassured, will help you determine what it is you’re looking to receive from a funeral plan.
It’ll also allow you to compare the various options available within your budget, making sure you secure the very best deal.
Get in touch today to arrange financial protection for your loved ones.
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*Terms and conditions apply. Not applicable if paying by monthly instalment plan.
**If paying by monthly instalments and pass away within the first 12 or 24 months from the start of the plan.
Sources:
[1] https://www.funeralplanmarket.com/pre-paid-funeral-plans/top-10-funeral-plans
[2] SunLife (2020), Cost of Dying Report, sunlife.co.uk/costofdying2020
[3] https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/funeral-plans
[4] https://boughtbymany.com/news/article/best-funeral-plans/
[5] https://www.goldenleaves.com/
[6] https://www.avalonfuneralplans.com/
[7] https://www.which.co.uk/money/insurance/funeral-plans
Our providers
At Reassured, we will provide you with quotes from Co-op funeral care, as well as any information required regarding the best funeral plans.
This allows you to make a fully informed decision.
All of the funeral plans we provide are fully regulated by the Funeral Planning Authority (FPA) ensuring you and your money are protected.
