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The Gift of Preplanning: Understanding Prepaid Funerals

When a loved one dies, making funeral arrangements can be a stressful and difficult process, especially if the deceased didn’t express any specific wishes regarding funeral plans – such as whether they’d prefer a burial or cremation, church service or celebrant service, where they wish to be buried or have their ashes scattered and so on.


On top of that, leaving your loved ones with the financial burden of arranging your funeral adds another load to their shoulders to worry about, rather than allowing them to focus on navigating the mourning process.


Thankfully, there is an ideal option for mitigating all of these factors: a prepaid funeral plan. Offering great financial and logistical relief to your family, prepaid funeral plans allow you to take control over your own funeral, so that all arrangements are covered when the time comes for your eventual passing.


Keep reading as we discuss all you need to know in this comprehensive guide to determine whether this could be a fitting option for you.


What are Prepaid Funeral Plans?


Have you ever wondered, ‘can I plan my own funeral’? Well, a prepaid funeral plan allows you to do just that. This is an easy way to arrange the type of funeral you want in advance, covering multiple aspects involved in funeral arrangements, including the: 


  • Location

  • Type of service

  • Type of burial

  • Transportation

  • Costs (there may be some additional third party costs to consider, which we will discuss later in this guide)


For many individuals, this offers peace of mind for both them and their family. Not only does it give you control over your own funeral, ensuring that your wishes are met in the event of your passing, but it also takes the otherwise associated responsibility and pressure off your family members from having to arrange the funeral on your behalf.


How do they work?


When arranging a prepaid funeral plan with a funeral director, you often have two options, which are to choose from a standardised plan or create a bespoke one.


There are a variety of options to choose from, which you can discuss with funeral directors, who will listen to your requirements and advise which plan may be best suited to you. As well as sorting the general arrangements, all of your wishes for the day will be noted down, whether that be the types of flowers you want on your coffin or a special poem or passage from a book you’d like to be read out.


All of this information will be recorded and you will be quoted a cost for the arrangements. The costs for the plan itself will only cover the essential services offered by the funeral directors. These typically include:


  • Professional services and making arrangements for the funeral

  • Transportation of the deceased from the place of death to our chapel of rest.

  • Care of the deceased and preparations for family viewing if requested

  • Advice on the certification and registration of death and related documentation

  • Provision of funeral vehicles

  • Advice on bereavement counselling

  • Coffin selection


Whilst additional incurred costs aren’t covered, there is sometimes the option to include an allowance towards these third party costs, ensuring your family will have less/no costs to cover themselves or through your estate.

Payment can be made in a one-off payment covering the lump sum, or the cost can be spread into more manageable payments. 


Once payment has been agreed upon, then you will need to appoint a nominated representative. This individual will be informed of all your choices and will be the one to activate your funeral plan in the event of your passing, ensuring all your wishes are met. Despite this, they have no authority to make changes to your plan – only you have the ability to do so.


What are the key considerations to make before purchasing one?


There are a number of considerations that you should keep in mind before going ahead with taking out a prepaid funeral plan. Firstly, ensure that you are taking out a plan with a funeral home that is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).


This will ensure that you’ll be protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) should your plan provider fail, ensuring that your funeral is either carried out as planned or a full refund is given.


Next, think about your budget. If paying for the funeral plan would put you in debt or you plan on repaying it for so many years that you end up paying more than the funeral is worth, then you’re likely better off not doing so. Similarly, think about any additional costs that are likely to be incurred through third parties and whether or not you can include this in your plan’s allowance, whether it can be covered through your estate or if your family would be required to pay it.


It’s also worth considering who you wish your nominated representative to be. It’s important that you think about this carefully so you can nominate someone you trust to enact your plan upon your passing and make sure that your wishes are respected.


The Benefits of a Prepaid Funeral


Ensure Your Wishes are Met


By arranging your own funeral in advance, then you can ensure that your funeral service plays out the way you want it to. As long as you appoint a nominated representative that you trust and inform your family members on your wishes, letting them know you’ve taken out a pre-paid funeral plan, then they will be able to honour this for you.


Relieve the Burden on Loved Ones


Losing a close friend or family member can be an incredibly upsetting time, with people being left to grieve their loss. This difficult time is made even harder when your loved ones are then left having to arrange your funeral on top of this, a process that can be stressful, time-consuming and potentially logistically challenging.


Furthermore, they may even have to face the financial burden of covering the costs for this, also. Funerals are an expensive repair. While the costs may be covered by your estate, if there is not enough to cover all expenses, then your loved ones will be expected to cover any additional costs out of their own pockets.

By arranging a prepaid funeral plan whilst you’re still alive, you will be taking away these burdens from your loved ones, allowing them to instead focus on mourning and making their peace with your passing.


Avoid Potential Disputes


If you don’t express your own wishes for how you’d like your funeral to proceed, then it will be up to your family to decide on the proceedings. However, different individuals may have different ideas on what should happen or what they think you would’ve wanted. Whilst the decision would ultimately be down to the executors of your will, this could still lead to familial disputes.


This is likely the last thing you would want to happen after your death, and would certainly make the situation harder on everyone within the family. However, this can be easily avoided by clearly expressing your wishes and taking the sorting into your own hands through a prepaid plan.


Fixed Price


As we’ve already mentioned, funerals are an expensive affair. As with everything else in the world, the price of funerals is likely to only increase year after year. When you arrange a prepaid plan, then you will be paying today’s fixed price, which will not change even in the event that funerals are more expensive by the time you die.


For example, if you pay £3,500 for your plan today and don’t die for another 20 years, at which point the same funeral may cost £6,000, then your family won’t be required to pay the £2,500 difference.


Advice for Arranging a Loved One’s Prepaid Funeral


If your loved one has an existing prepaid funeral plan, then you may be wondering how you’d go about enacting it.


If you are the nominated representative, then you simply get in touch with the funeral directors through which the deceased’s plan was taken out (you should have a copy of the plan, which will include the funeral directors’ contact details), informing them of the death and asking them to carry out the arrangements detailed in the plan.


This allows you to focus on grieving, rather than having to worry about arranging all aspects of the funeral service single-handedly.


If there are any additional arrangements within the plan not covered by the plan’s cost nor covered by an included allowance, then you will be advised to cover this cost yourself.


Professional Funeral Planning Service in Paignton


If you live in east Devon and are looking to arrange your own prepaid funeral plan, then look to us here at Stockman & Loram.


Based in Paignton, we offer a range of bespoke Golden Charter funeral plans available to suit your requirements and budget. Whether you’re looking to have a simple cremation with no service, a church service and burial or require additional personal touches, we can work with you to create the ideal plan.

Get in touch with us today to take the next steps.

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