Funeral Plans
The average funeral costs just under £4,000. You can prepare for this cost so it doesn’t affect your family when planning your funeral. One way to pay is through a pre-paid funeral plan.
What is a prepaid funeral plan?
A prepaid funeral plan allows you to pay for the essential elements of a funeral in advance. Plans typically cover many (though not all) of the costs associated with a funeral, such as a coffin and a hearse.
The plan means that your family won’t have to worry about covering the whole cost or part of the cost of your funeral.
Plans can usually be taken out by anyone aged over 18, though some providers will only allow plans for people at least 50 years old or above.
A prepaid funeral plan won't cover the costs of a burial plot, headstone and more
Many providers will let you choose between a cremation or burial funeral plan. Make sure you double-check what’s included with these plans as there are sometimes additional burial or cremation costs that may not be included. For example, the cost of a burial plot and a headstone.
It's vital to understand what is and isn't included. You could make plans to budget for any extras if these are your wishes.
What's usually included in a prepaid funeral plan?
- Transport of the body to the funeral director's location
- Care of the body
- Visiting the body in the chapel of rest
- A coffin, hearse, and funeral director personnel
- An allowance toward burial/cremation costs
What's sometimes included (depending on your plan):
- A guarantee that crematorium fees will be covered
- Doctor's fees (totaling £82 and needed for cremations outside of Scotland)
- Minister's or celebrant's fees
- Limousines for mourners
What's not usually included in a prepaid funeral plan:
- Burial plot and some burial fees
- Headstone/memorial
- Funeral notices
- Order sheets
- Embalming
- Flowers, catering, and other costs for a wake
Things you need to know
If funeral costs rise in the future, your funeral plan is protected against inflation.
Most funeral plan providers have various payment options which are usually:
- Pay a lump sum – this means you're only paying for what the plan costs and your money is protected due to regulations.
- Pay over 12 months - this is the next-best option if you don't have the entire lump sum, but can afford to clear the full amount within 12 months interest-free. Many plan providers ask for a small deposit (usually less than £100) when setting up a monthly installment plan but this will be deducted from the total you owe.
The only difference to paying upfront is that if you die within the 12 months and haven't finished paying off the plan, the provider will refund your family what you've paid, rather than provide the funeral.
Spread the cost over up to 25 years - if you don't have the money now, or can't afford to spread the cost over a year, you can choose to spread your payments over a longer period of up to 25 years (depending on the provider). You can usually only do this up to the age of 80 so if you're 75 for example and wanted to pay this way, the maximum length of time you could spread the cost over would likely be five years. You’re likely to be charged high-interest rates on these.
Change your funeral plan details when you move house
When you buy a funeral plan, you'll need to tell the provider which funeral director you want to arrange your funeral with. Remember, if you later move from the location registered to your plan, you'll need to see if you can change funeral directors.
With anything related to finances, we recommend you get advice from a financial expert or financial advisor, they will be best placed to give you impartial advice.
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Page last updated: November 2023.
