Prepay your funeral to help save money and worry
Were you aware that funeral costs have been rising at a rate faster than both inflation and savings in recent years? In the last seven years alone, funeral costs have risen by almost £1,500 and if they continue to increase at the current rate of 6.33% they could reach more than £6,100 by 2023.*
A Prepaid Funeral Plan from Dignity, the UK’s leading provider of prearranged plans, is a way to pay for and organise your funeral in advance, and can help to save you hundreds if not thousands of pounds in the future. The Plan fixes the cost of the funeral services in the plan at today’s prices, meaning that however much funeral costs may rise; there will be no more to pay for the services in the plan.
Not all funeral plans are the same – check before you buy
However, if you’re trying to compare funeral plan providers, it can be confusing. Most people don’t have much experience of funerals so don’t know what questions to ask to make sure they’re getting the best product for them.
If you’re feeling bewildered by all the choices, it can be tempting to make a quick decision based on the face value and price. But taking a little time to ask some key questions can help save hundreds of pounds when the plan is needed.
- What’s actually covered in your Plan and what potential costs are not covered?
For a cremation funeral, look for a plan, like the Prepaid Funeral Plan from Dignity, that guarantees to cover both the funeral directors costs and the cremation and ministers’ fees, which are commonly called third party costs. Not all providers guarantee to cover these third party costs, and some just provide a contribution towards these costs, leaving additional costs to pay in the future.
- Find out what the plan includes for burial funerals
Most funeral plan providers guarantee to cover the cost of the funeral director services but no provider on the market currently guarantees to fully cover all the costs for a burial funeral including the plot. Instead, many include a contribution to pay towards the burial costs. The Prepaid Plan from Dignity provides one of the largest contribution towards burial costs available, and the contribution also increases each year in line with RPI, minimising the amount that will need to be paid when the funeral plan is needed.
- Will there be extra costs if you move house?
With a Prepaid Funeral Plan from Dignity, if you move house your plan moves with you, at no extra charge, as the price promise in the plan is with Dignity. If necessary, you will be allocated a new Dignity Nominated Funeral Director. With some plan providers, the price promise is held with an individual funeral director, so there is no guarantee that the plan can move with you without additional costs to pay.
- How secure is your money?
Make sure that the money you pay for your plan is held completely independently of both the funeral plan provider and funeral director and you should be able to view independently audited accounts each year. With a Plan from Dignity, the money is paid into the National Funeral Trust Fund. An annual report is available on request.
- Find out who provides the guarantee and funeral plan promises
A funeral plan is a promise to deliver a funeral at some point in the future so it will only be as good as the company that stands behind the promise. It’s important that you trust the company and they are financially secure and have an established history. Dignity is a secure company with a long established history, which continually invests in its people, vehicles and premises. Over 99%** of customers surveyed said that Dignity had met or exceeded their expectations in terms of the quality of service that we provided to them. And more than 98%** would recommend Dignity to friends and relatives.
If you are aged 50 or over and would like to find out more information about the Prepaid Funeral Plan from Dignity, call today to request your FREE no obligation information guide. You will also receive a stylish silver pen and £50 discount when you buy.
Call: 0800 484 0257 Quote code: CT16LKWND
Alternatively click for details on the Prepaid Funeral Plan from Dignity.
*2023 forecast based on compounded growth rate of 6.33% each year between 2007 and 2015.
** Dignity plc Annual Report & Accounts 2015
