Pay for your own funeral

Yes, you can pay for your funeral before you die with a prepaid funeral plan and protect loved ones from rising funeral costs.

Or you can prepare for your funeral costs by taking out a life insurance policy, such as an over 50 plan.

Funeral plan - from just £19.81* a month

Allowing you to pay for your funeral at today’s price, with flexible payment options.


Life insurance - from just 20p-a-day

A policy that pays out a cash lump sum to your family if you pass away during the policy term, in exchange for a monthly premium.

There’s also the option to put money aside into a savings account, as long as this is separate to your estate.

However, as funeral costs rise faster than the rate of inflation you may wish to protect your savings with some form of cover and to ensure that when the time comes, there are sufficient funds to cover all your funeral costs.

At Reassured, we can help you arrange an FPA approved funeral plan, life insurance policy, or both.

We’re an award-winning, FCA registered broker service with over 10 years experience helping customers secure affordable protection.

Get in touch today to take advantage of our fee FREE service.

Compare Funeral Plans » Save Money

Is it smart to prepay your funeral?

Many families run into financial difficulties after paying for the funeral of a loved one, especially as a basic funeral costs almost £4,500 on average in the UK.

Therefore, it’s a smart decision to prepay your funeral and protect the financial stability of your family when the time comes.

Prepaying your funeral with an FPA approved funeral plan is a risk-free solution.

Why pay for your funeral before you die?

  1. Paying for your funeral today can protect loved ones from higher funeral costs in the future. The average cost of a funeral has risen 130% since 2004[1], and this is likely to continue to rise at the same rate
  2. It allows your loved ones to pay the funeral bill straight away, rather than waiting for probate to release funds from your estate (which can take many months or even years)
  3. It’ll keep your money safe. Most funeral plans, including those arranged through us, are approved by the Funeral Planning Authority (FPA). We are also a Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) registered business, ensuring your money is secure
  4. It’s a thoughtful and selfless act that gives you peace of mind and forms part of your legacy

Reassured can help you compare quotes for both funeral plans and life insurance, so why not get in touch today?

Paying for funeral expenses from estate

If you’ve not made financial provisions for your funeral, then your funeral expenses would be covered by your estate if there’s sufficient funds available.

Whilst this would be the normal process, probate can take from 6 -9 months or sometimes years, following your passing.

This means your family would have to pay the upfront cost of the funeral until they can recover the funds (if there are funds remaining once other debts have been cleared).

But you could have a funeral plan or life insurance policy in place to ensure they won’t be out of pocket for a significant period of time.

Funeral plan to pay for your funeral

Benefits of a funeral plan:

  • Avoid rising funeral costs
  • Protect life insurance or savings
  • Arrange your funeral before you die
  • Includes all your essential funeral services
  • Choose a level of service to suit your budget
  • Flexible payment options


Funeral costs are rising at an unprecedented rate, but funeral plan providers are allowing you to pay for your funeral at today’s price.

According to reports, in the next 5 years, funeral costs could rise by a further £1,000.

Therefore, paying for your funeral today could save your loved one's hundreds or thousands in the future.

You can also choose to arrange your funeral, with support from a nominated funeral director.

Your final wishes will be recorded so that your send-off is exactly how you want it to be.

Planning the funeral yourself means less stress for your family when the time comes.

They won’t have to compare prices or search around for an appropriate funeral director whilst they are grieving.

They’d simply need to make a call and the plans for your funeral will be set in motion.

Cost of funerals infographic UK

Why purchase a funeral plan through Reassured?

Unlike most other funeral plans, all funeral plans arranged through Reassured are fully guaranteed.

Meaning that all essential third-party fees are included and your funeral services will be carried out exactly as per your wishes, even if prices continue to rise – your family won’t have to contribute an extra penny**.

What are third-party fees?

Third-party fees are for the additional services required for a funeral and are separate to those of the funeral director.

These include:

  • Doctor fees
  • Minister or celebrant fees
  • Cremation or burial fees
Compare Funeral Plans » Find Your Perfect Plan

How much is a prepaid funeral plan?

As mentioned, the average cost of a funeral in the UK is almost £4,500 – in comparison, a prepaid funeral plan with a full funeral service can start from just £3,000.

Most people choose to spread the cost of a prepaid plan for affordability.

For example, with plans purchased through Reassured, you can spread the cost interest-free over 6 or 12 months, or by long-term instalments over 2-25 years.

Funeral plans with each provider come in a variety of prices and level of service.

You can simply choose a funeral plan that best suits your needs and your budget.

Needless to say, funeral plan prices also differ between funeral plan providers.

Which is why it’s sensible to compare the prices and features of the plans available.

At Reassured, we can help you with this process and narrow down your choices.

We can help you understand from the choices available, which funeral plan is the most suitable for you and your family.

Get in touch today and secure your best funeral plan quote.

What happens if I die before my funeral plan is paid?

In most cases, if you die before your funeral plan has been paid in full, your next of kin would have to pay the remaining balance.

They could choose to cancel the plan for a refund, and use a different funeral director, however, this just adds more stress during an already difficult time.

All funeral plans arranged through Reassured offer a unique benefit that protects your loved ones from this situation.

If you were to die before paying your plan in full, but you had made more than 12 monthly payments, then your funeral services will still be covered with nothing more for your loved ones to pay.

This means you can spread the cost over 25 years with peace of mind that your funeral is covered and your family are financially protected, just as you intended.

Life insurance policy for funeral

Benefits of life insurance:

  • You could secure a higher cover amount for more than just your funeral
  • Provides a cash lump sum that can be used to cover funeral costs
  • Various policy types to choose from
  • Write in trust to protect savings and reduce inheritance tax


The most common type of life insurance policy to cover funeral expenses is an over 50 plan.

Over 50 plans are available to UK residents aged 50 - 85, and acceptance is guaranteed.

Which is ideal if you suffer from any medical conditions and would prefer to skip the long application process.

Over 50 plans could provide a sum assured (pay out amount) of up to £25,000 which is enough to cover your essential funeral costs plus extras such as flowers and catering.

The amount you can secure will depend on your individual circumstances, and you’ll only be able to secure as much as you need.

A pay out with an over 50 plan is guaranteed, meaning that you’ll need to pay premiums until you pass away or until a certain birthday, such as your 90th.

The catch with an over 50 plan is that there is a waiting period from the start of the policy when your family are unable to make a claim (usually 12 or 24 months depending on the insurer).

If you’re fit and well, then you may consider instead a whole of life policy.

Like an over 50 plan, whole of life insurance guarantees a cash lump sum pay out to loved ones when you pass away but the sum assured tends to be significantly higher.

Writing life insurance in trust

Writing your life insurance in trust means signing your policy over to a trustee who’ll manage the policy pay-out on your behalf when you pass away.

Benefits of writing in trust:

  • Avoid probate for a faster pay out
  • Reduce inheritance tax (40% on everything over £325,000)
  • More control over the distribution of pay out


Reassured can help you write your policy into trust, which makes the process quick and easy.

How much is life insurance?

Life insurance arranged through Reassured costs from just 20p-a-day.

Your personal quote is calculated based on the level of risk you pose to the insurer.

To assess the risk, and calculate your premiums, the following factors are taken into account for most policies:

  • Age
  • Health
  • Smoking status
  • Lifestyle
  • Sum assured (pay out amount)
  • Term length


An over 50 plan only takes into account your age, the sum assured, and sometimes your smoking status. You won’t need to provide any information regarding your health.

The cost of life insurance varies greatly between insurers, therefore, it’s important to compare multiple quotes.

At Reassured, we can compare life insurance quotes on your behalf so that you can secure the best deal.

Take advantage of our award-winning service today.

Savings to pay for your funeral

Many people will be setting money aside into a savings account ready to pay for their funeral when the time comes.

This makes perfect sense right now, however, when you pass away, these funds may not be accessible to loved ones until probate is granted.

Probate is the process of administering your estate, and your bank account/s may be considered as part of your estate.

Sometimes, if you have a joint bank account with a family member then they may be able to access the funds after you pass away to pay for the funeral.

Whether you have personal savings or not, it’s sensible to consider a funeral plan which can:

  • Lock-in your funeral costs
  • Give you control over how much is spent on your funeral
  • Give you peace of mind that your funeral is already arranged
  • Prevent your savings from being used to pay for the funeral

Can you pay funeral expenses before probate?

It’s possible to pay funeral expenses before probate if there’s a funeral plan or life insurance policy in place.

As mentioned, the probate process can take many months or sometimes years to release funds from your estate.

But if you have a funeral plan in place, the funds paid in will be transferred to the funeral director straight away after you die, so that they can begin to carry out their services.

With life insurance, a pay out is issued within a matter of days or weeks following a successful claim, though this can take longer in some cases.

Although, if the policy is not written into trust, the pay out will form part of your estate and be paid to loved ones in accordance with probate.

It’s also possible to avoid probate to using your savings for your funeral - you’d just need to ensure that the bank account where your savings are held is accessible to a trusted family member.

Compare quotes for life insurance and/or funeral plans

You can pay for your funeral before you die with a prepaid funeral plan or take out a life insurance policy so that your loved ones receive a cash lump sum to cover the costs.

The option that’s best for you will be determined by your individual circumstances, and your budget.

It’s possible to take out a funeral plan and a life policy to serve different purposes – a funeral plan to beat rising funeral costs and life insurance to leave behind an inheritance.

Funeral plans arranged through Reassured come with flexible payment options so that you can spread the cost from just £19.81 per month.

All our plans are FPA approved so that your money is kept safe until your funeral services are needed.

Compare quotes for both life insurance and funeral plans using our award-winning service today.

We look forward to helping you save money!

Compare Funeral Plans Quotes »

Sources:

[1] https://www.sunlife.co.uk/siteassets/documents/cost-of-dying/SL-cost-of-dying-report-2020.pdf/

*£19.81 per month includes a £165 discount only available to Co-op members. Based on a 50 year old purchasing a Simple Funeral Plan at £3,130 after discount with 25 years payment term.

**A burial plot is not included.

Related articles:

Show more Nav arrow

Our Providers

At Reassured, we will provide you with quotes from Co-op funeral care.

All of the funeral plans we provide are fully regulated by the Funeral Planning Authority (FPA) ensuring you and your money are protected.

Co-op logo

Very easy to understand and very quick

Yes very pleased with my choice very helpful easy to understand and very pleasant transaction all good!

Mrs M Rushworth

Very professional and reassuring

Very professional and reassuring. Life insurance sorted in about 10 minutes.

Stephen Davies

very courteous and friendly

very courteous and friendly. Polite professional and empathic.

Stedroy Fenton

Another happy customer

Another happy customer I am. They are very professional and kind. Fully communicative. I recommend.

Piotr Stepien

Really attentive during the call

Really attentive during the call, good clear guidance throughout. Well done.

Michael Reynolds

Amazing service

Amazing service quick fast and easy and Joey was a star on the phone really help me thanks.

Sera Woolley

I made the right choice and now I feel…

I made the right choice and now I feel relieved that I did.

glyn

Really genuine kind and compassionate…

Really genuine kind and compassionate team with great knowledge and friendly approach highly recommend them!

Katelia Merritt

I must say Jake took me through every…

I must say Jake took me through every step and was brilliant, recommend them anytime.

Allan Green

Very happy and everything explained…

Very happy and everything explained well, so glad a took the time to take the call, normally I would say I'm busy. But compared to other company's we save so much more money.

Jenny Berry