Cheap funeral plans in the UK [2021]

It’s not cheap having a funeral in the UK, with the average cremation costing £3,858 and the average burial costing more than £5,000 nowadays[1].

It doesn’t help that funeral prices are rising every year faster than inflation too (up 128% since 2004).

Fortunately, there’s an easy and affordable way you can protect family from this inevitable and large expense in the future.

With a funeral plan you can:

  • Lock-in today’s prices for your services (avoid rising fees)
  • Plan the funeral according to your wishes
  • Reduce stress and financial worry for loved ones
  • Spread the cost with monthly payment options

Award-winning broker, Reassured, can help you compare quotes for a range of cheap funeral packages so get in touch today.

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What is a cheap funeral plan?

A cheap or low-cost funeral plan allows you to pay for your chosen funeral services in advance.

You can choose to pay for a plan in full or you can spread the cost in manageable monthly payments.

These days, you can find a budget-friendly plan that covers one of the following funerals:

  1. A simple cremation or burial funeral with traditional service
    Organised and carried out by a funeral director. Includes all the elements you’d expect at a simple yet traditional funeral, such as a procession, hearse, pallbearers and so on
  2. A cremation with family-led service
    A simple cremation organised by the funeral director and crematorium. Includes a family-led service, but there’s no procession, hearse or pallbearers
  3. A direct cremation with no service
    An unattended cremation organised by a funeral director and crematorium. There’s no funeral service and no attendees

The least expensive option for you will depend on which type of send-off you want to have.

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This calculator uses data from the SunLife Cost of Dying Report 2021 and should only be used as a guide.
Cost of funerals infographic

Cheap funeral directors and funeral plan providers

In the UK, there are 28 individual funeral directors and funeral plan providers approved to sell prepaid funeral plans.

The list is made up of:

  • Local independent funeral directors
  • Funeral plan providers with a network of funeral directors, crematoria & cemeteries across the UK
  • Funeral plan providers that own and operate their funeral homes or crematoria across the UK

The top 5 cheapest funeral directors that offer a UK-wide
service include:

  1. Memoria Low-Cost Funerals
  2. Co-op Funeralcare
  3. Pure Cremation
  4. Simplicity Cremations
  5. Golden Leaves

We compare their funeral plans and prices in detail below…

Compare Funeral Plans » Find Your Perfect Plan

Top 5 cheapest funeral plans [Traditional service]

The cheapest funeral plans that cover a simple cremation or burial funeral with traditional service are:

Rank Provider Plan name Fixed price
1 Golden Leaves Bronze Plan £2,533^
2 Choice Essentials Plan £2,695
3 Not For Profit Funeral Plans Simple Plan £2,785
4 Golden Charter Value Plan £2,895
5 Open Prepaid Funerals Simple Plus Plan £2,995

^Golden Leaves funeral plan pricing is based on a national average. As funeral costs vary so much across the UK, your plan could cost more or less than the amount stated here

The information in this table and preceding tables has been taken from the separate providers' websites and is accurate as of 27/05/2021**

Funeral plans in this category usually include elements such as:

  • Funeral director services fixed at today’s price
  • Collection and care of deceased
  • A traditional service held at the crematorium or place of worship
  • Coffin, hearse and pallbearers
  • Bereavement support for loved ones

Unlike higher priced plans, it’s unlikely that they’ll cover essential third-party fees which include:

  • Cremation or burial fees
  • Minister or celebrant fees
  • Doctor’s fees

Your family would need to pay these additional costs at the time of the funeral.

This table shows the key differences between the top 3 cheapest plans for this category:

  Golden Leaves - Bronze Plan Choice - Essentials Plan Not for Profit -Simple Plan
Flexible payment options List icon List icon Cross
Cremation or burial fees guaranteed Cross Cross List icon
Minister or celebrant fees guaranteed Cross Cross List icon
Doctor’s fees guaranteed Cross Cross List icon
Pallbearers List icon List icon List icon
Coffin Basic Light oak veneer Simple wood effect
Transfer to funeral home 25 miles 25 miles 25 miles


Reassured can help you arrange a cremation or burial funeral plan with traditional service from as little as £19.11 a month, so get in touch for your free quotes.

Top 10 cheapest funeral plans [Family-led service]

The cheapest funeral plans that cover a cremation with personal family-led service are:

Rank Provider Plan name Cost
1 Simplicity Cremations Magnolia Plan £1,795
2 Pure Cremation Trust Based Plan with service £1,795
3 Memoria Low Cost Funerals Intimate Family Plan £1,999
4 Simplicity Orchid Plan £2,295
5 Avalon Cremation with service plan £2,695

Funeral plans in this category tend to include the following elements:

  • Cremation fees and funeral director fees fixed at today’s price
  • Collection and care of deceased
  • A family-led service at the crematorium
  • Professional guidance
  • Basic coffin
  • Return of ashes

The family-led service may have some restrictions, depending on which plan you choose. For example, there may be a specific time limit for the service and a minimum number of attendees.

This table shows the key differences between the top 3 cheapest plans for this category:

  Simplicity Cremations - Magnolia Plan Pure Cremation - Trust Based Plan with service Memoria - Intimate Family Plan
Flexible payment options List icon List icon List icon
Collection within mainland Great Britain List icon List icon List icon
Choice of crematorium Cross Cross List icon
Date and time decided by family Cross Yes. Depending on the location No. Early morning slots only
Time limit for service Unspecified 20 minutes 30 minutes
Maximum number of attendees 12 12 20
Doctor’s fees guaranteed Cross List icon Cross

Top 5 cheapest funeral plans [No service]

The cheapest prepaid funeral plans that cover a direct cremation with no funeral service are:

Rank Provider Plan name Cost
1 Memoria Low Cost Funerals Direct Funeral Plan £1,490
2 Co-op Funeralcare Direct Cremation Plan £1,490
3 Simplicity Cremations Lily Plan £1,495
4 Trust Cremations Direct Cremation Plan £1,550
5 Pure Cremation Trust Based Plan £1,595

Funeral plans in this category tend to include elements such as:

  • Cremation fees fixed at today’s price
  • Collection and care of deceased
  • Basic coffin
  • Return of ashes

These types of funeral plans don’t include a funeral service at all. Your family wouldn’t be able to choose the crematorium or attend the cremation.

This table shows the key differences between the top 3 cheapest plans for this category:

  Memoria - Direct Funeral Plan Co-op Funeralcare - Direct Cremation Plan Simplicity Cremations - Lily Plan
Flexible payment options List icon Cross List icon
Collection within mainland Great Britain Unspecified Collection within 50 miles of funeral home or extra charges may apply List icon
Professional guidance List icon List icon List icon
Doctor’s fees No No No
Return of ashes No. Collection only No. Collection only Yes. Within mainland Great Britain

What is the cheapest funeral plan?

The cheapest funeral plan is for a direct cremation with no funeral service. Memoria and Co-op are the cheapest providers for this type of plan.

With Memoria, the direct funeral plan costs £1,490 in full or you can spread the cost in monthly instalments from £11.31 a month (instalment fees may apply).

The Co-op direct cremation plan costs the same, but the monthly payment option isn’t available.

What makes a funeral plan cheap but not poor value?

Fortunately, poor value funeral plans are few and far between because the market is pretty competitive.

However, when choosing your plan, it’s sensible to check which third-party fees are guaranteed to be covered in full or to some degree.

This is most important with the traditional cremation or burial funeral plans.

For example, some of the cheap funeral packages listed above won’t cover the cost of burial fees or a burial plot.

The cost of a burial in the UK is fairly high, especially for areas such as London and the South of England (and burial fees are rising year on year).

Therefore, if you’re opting for a burial funeral, selecting a higher costing plan will safeguard your loved ones from the additional cost of burial fees and from higher prices in the future.

Nonetheless, what’s important is that you can find a plan that has everything your family may need, at a price within your budget.

Reassured can help you compare a range of affordable plans, including fully guaranteed plans - simply get in touch today for your free quotes.

Are cheap funeral plans safe?

Yes, any funeral plan that’s regulated by the Funeral Planning Authority (FPA) is safe to purchase.

FPA registered providers must keep their customers’ money secure in an FCA-regulated life insurance policy or independently managed trust fund until it’s needed to cover a funeral.

Reassured only provide FPA approved funeral plans, so you can have peace of mind that your money is secure when buying a plan through us.

Who needs a funeral plan?

Not everyone needs a funeral plan, but they can be ideal for people who:

  • Have savings already and can cover the full cost of a plan, locking-in today’s prices and securing immediate cover
  • Have struggled to secure other types of financial protection such as life insurance, due to poor health or their age
  • Have specific wishes for their funeral or want to be in control of the arrangements and how much is spent
  • Want to protect certain family members who may be vulnerable or may find it too difficult organising and paying for the whole funeral

Whatever your circumstances, contact our friendly team today who’ll be happy to help you find the perfect financial protection.

How can you pay?

As mentioned, you can choose to pay for a funeral plan either in one single payment or in monthly payments.

Typically, you’ll have the following options:

  • Pay in one single payment
  • Pay monthly over 6 or 12 months (fee-free)
  • Pay monthly over 2 or more years (up until a certain age, such as your 80th birthday)

Paying by monthly instalments over 2 years or more will incur instalment charges. These will vary with each provider.

Tips when buying a cheap funeral plan

For extra peace of mind, and to ensure you’re getting best value for money with the plan you buy, follow our simple tips:

  • Make sure the plan covers everything you’re expecting and that there’s no hidden costs
  • Pay for a plan in full or spread the cost over a maximum of 12 months to avoid instalment fees
  • Make sure the plan is provided by an FPA approved funeral director or plan provider
  • Be aware that loved ones may have to pay additional expenses that aren’t covered in a plan, such as burial fees (higher cost plans are more likely to cover these expenses)
  • For more flexibility, you could opt for a low-cost tailor-made plan available with some providers
  • Discuss your funeral plan options with family members or close friends
  • Compare multiple plans to find the best plan for you

Compare low-cost funeral plans

Why compare funeral plans with Reassured today?

List icon Avoid rising funeral costs

As mentioned, it’s possible to lock-in your funeral rates and avoid rising funeral costs by taking out a funeral plan through us today.

In the last 16 years, funeral costs have risen by 128%, and are predicted to rise another 20% in the next 5 years[1].

Many families struggle to pay for a funeral, which costs on average £4,184 in the UK.

A funeral plan protects your family from this inevitable financial burden and the expense of your funeral in the future.

List icon Benefit from fixed prices

You can have confidence that funeral plan prices offered by Reassured remain fixed.

This means:

  • No unexpected price increases in line with rising funeral costs
  • No regionalised pricing
  • Visibility of all your funeral plan costs

Some funeral plan providers, such as Golden Leaves, provide regionalised pricing.

This means they advertise funeral plan prices based on a national average, rather than the actual cost for each region.

A funeral plan that appears cheap at first, may not be so cheap in the region where you live.

Our funeral plan prices remain fixed no matter where you live, and you’ll know exactly how much you’ll pay from the outset.

Fix your funeral costs today by taking out a cheap funeral plan through our award-winning broker service.

List icon Get quick personalised quotes

Reassured can help you save time and money because we do all the hard work for you; comparing multiple quotes in a matter of minutes.

We listen to your requirements and identify the best funeral plans most suited to these.

Not only do we search and compare plans on your behalf, one of our outstanding team members can fill in all the paperwork for you.

All this, without charging you a fee.

List icon ‘Excellent’ service rated by 50,000 Trustpilot reviews

Quite simply, our customers love us. We have more than 50,000 independent customer reviews rating our service as ‘Excellent’ overall.

Cheap funeral plan quotes

Reassured can compare cheap funeral plans quotes from as little as £19.11 a month.

Our award-winning team works on your behalf to find you the most suitable plan for you and your family.

We can answer your questions and provide all the information you need to make a fully informed decision.

Contact Reassured today and make the most of our fee-free, no-obligation quote service.

You have nothing to lose!

Compare Funeral Plans » Find Your Best Deal

Sources:

[1] SunLife (2021), Cost of Dying Report, sunlife.co.uk/costofdying2021

*£19.11 per month pricing includes a £75 discount only available to Co-operative members and is based on a 50-year-old purchasing a Co-operative Simple Funeral Plan at £3,020 over the maximum term available of 25 years (total amount repayable £5,733.40) as of 1st March 2021

**Out of the providers listed, Reassured can only arrange prepaid funeral plans from Co-op Funeralcare

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