If you’ve been thinking about taking out a prepaid funeral plan, you may have lots of questions before deciding whether it is right for you. In our latest blog we’ll discuss the pros and cons of prepaid funeral plans, along with a list of questions to ask your funeral director regarding the funeral plans they offer.
What is a funeral plan?
Pre-paid funeral plans provide a secure and effective way to plan ahead for your funeral. They serve two main functions – to plan out your funeral and pay for our funeral director services at today’s prices. Effectively freezing the cost of our services included in your plan against future price rises, whilst helping to reduce some of the stress your loved ones experience after you’ve gone.
There are many different funeral plans in the UK, all of which have different offerings. At Dillamore, we provide the Independent Way plan from Golden Charter. This plan provides flexibility and allows you to arrange the funeral of your choice.
What are the pros of prepaid funeral plans?
Taking out a funeral plan can provide many benefits, particularly plans that offer flexibility in their approach.
Here are just some of the benefits you can expect.
Securing the price of your funeral
Pre-paid funeral plans allow you to pay for the majority of your funeral at today’s prices. The average cost of a funeral in the UK is £4,141*, and funeral costs are
continuing to rise year-on-year.* Taking out a funeral plan could save you a significant amount of money in the long run, and may also protect your family from additional financial burden if the cost of your funeral exceeds the money you had saved for it.
*Sun Life Cost of Dying Report 2025
You can plan the fine details of your funeral
If you’ve ever had to arrange a funeral for someone, you may have experienced the difficulty and stress of guessing what your loved one would have wanted. One of the greatest parting gifts you could give your family is arranging your funeral in advance so that they don’t have difficult decisions when the time comes.
As well as documenting the bigger decisions, such as the type of funeral you would like and whether to be buried or cremated, some plans will allow you to document the finer details of your funeral. Attending a funeral that was planned by the deceased can help the experience feel truly personal and provide attendees with a greater sense of peace.
One of the benefits of taking out the Independent Way plan with Dillamore is just how much flexibility you are offered. You are able to document all your wishes, including all the personal touches. This can include details of the coffin, the location, music and readings, dress code, charity donations and the types of flowers you would like. Our team is dedicated to ensuring everything is covered, so that when the time comes there is no added guesswork.
Payment flexibility for your funeral plan
Most prepaid funeral plans will provide some flexibility in how to pay for your funeral. This will usually include paying in full up front, paying in installments, or paying monthly across a set period of time. This ensures that funeral plans are accessible to many different budgets and incomes, and aren’t solely limited to those with large sums of money in their savings.
A Golden Charter funeral plan can offer payment plans to suit most budgets.
- Single payment option – you can make a one-off single payment
- 12 monthly payment option – If you would prefer to spread the cost, you can pay over 12 monthly payments by Direct Debit at no extra charge. You will be fully covered once all payments are made.
- Instalment payment option – For a lower monthly payment, you can also choose to spread the cost of your plan between two and 15 years.¹ This option includes the added benefit of the Golden Charter Pledge. This ensures that if you die at any time after you have made 12 payments, the funeral director services included in your plan will be provided. An instalment charge is included based on your age and the term you select, and is included in the overall cost of your funeral plan. For monthly payments and more information please ask your funeral director.
- For the instalment payment option, you must be aged under 78 at the start date of your plan and pay the total cost by your 80th birthday. Please refer to the Key Features document for eligibility of each payment option.
What are the cons of prepaid funeral plans?
Although the benefits of prepaid funeral plans far outweigh the disadvantages, there are certain considerations to keep in mind before taking out a funeral plan.
Not every plan is the same
Whilst the UK is fortunate enough to have an abundance of choice with regards to the different funeral plans on offer, it’s important to note that some plans are more restrictive than others. Whilst the Independent Way plan allows full flexibility with regards to the type of funeral you want, other plans will require you to choose a set package. This may limit the choices available to you for your funeral, or specify the funeral director you must use. For anyone who wants the flexibility and freedom to create a bespoke funeral of their choice, certain funeral plans will not allow you to do this.
When researching potential funeral plans, it’s important to ask questions about how your money is stored, what financial protection the plan can offer, and whether there are any hidden costs.
Not every cost is included in a funeral plan
Funeral plans will typically cover the funeral director’s services within the plan, but some won’t cover the third party disbursement fees. This means that there may be additional costs to be paid for at the time of the funeral.
Funeral director’s services include; the professional services of the funeral director, arranging a cremation or burial, conveyance from the place of death, taking care of the deceased, preparations and viewings, funeral vehicles, the coffin or casket
Third party costs include; the crematorium fee, the burial plot, medical certificates, minister or officiant fees, an organist or live musician, the Order of Service, newspaper or online announcements
If you choose to take out a Golden Charter funeral plan with Dillamore, any costs associated with the funeral director’s services will be covered in full within the plan. Certain third-party costs are not covered in full, however you are able to make financial contributions towards them. This is because third-party costs are provided by external suppliers so are out of the funeral director’s financial control.
If you move away, or abroad, your plan may not cover you
When taking out a prepaid funeral, you are required to choose a specific funeral director to carry out your funeral. Although some plans will cover you if you plan to move house, others may not allow you to switch to an alternative funeral director if your new home is located too far away for them to carry out the funeral. Asking questions about the ‘what ifs’ at the time of taking out the plan can save you a lot of stress and disappointment in the long run.
With the Independent Way plan, you have the option of transferring your plan over to an alternative funeral director if you need to. If you plan to move abroad, you would need to take out additional insurance to be repatriated back to the UK in order for the plan to be used.
Questions to ask your funeral plan provider
Taking out a prepaid funeral plan is a big decision, so it’s important to do your research. We’ve compiled a list of ten questions to ask your funeral director or plan provider to aid you in your decision;
- What exactly is covered in the funeral plan and which costs are guaranteed?
- How much am I able to personalise my funeral to ensure all my wishes can be fulfilled?
- Can I choose my own funeral director with this plan?
- Where is the money I pay for my plan held, and what sort of financial protection does the plan offer?
- Will my beneficiaries receive any money back if the amount I put in to the plan exceeds the total cost of my funeral?
- Can I make changes to my plan at a later date? If so, are there any charges to do this?
- Can I cancel my funeral plan if my circumstances change? If so, will I get a refund?
- Will my funeral plan still be valid if I move house?
- What happens if I die before I have made all the payments to my plan?
Our team of funeral arrangers will be happy to chat with you further about the Independent Way funeral plan from Golden Charter, and take a no obligation approach. You can use our contact form to send us an email or reach out to us direct on 01525 372210.
