Funerals

[norseman]

Hi folks, anyone got an opinion, or maybe experience, when it comes to planning for funeral costs?
Pre-payment plan either with Golden Charter etc. or with a funeral director, as opposed to a dedicated savings A/C for that eventual cost.

Not something any of us likes to think about, but when you get to my age, don't have life insurance & want to avoid burdening the family financially.

Thank all.

 

[motorbiking]

Do you expect your estate to have sufficient funds to cover the cost of the funeral you want? If so, it's probably best to write the sort of thing you would like to happen and any words to your family. My Dad did this and it was really nice to follow his wishes.

Pre-payment plans are a bit like all inclusive cheap holidays. Once they have your money, they can do what they like.

 

[JohnD]

I've heard of people who paid for a plan with a particular firm, and when the time came, the firm had gone bust, so nothing was provided.

I knew someone very close who had a policy with some group, but they died during the covid epidemic, and their nominated local firm was overwhelmed and couldn't take the body. We couldn't even get through on the phone for two days.

Luckily a friend had a contact at another local company who stepped in. I don't know how, but I presume the trade has some way of settling up between themselves. I should think a policy with a large and reputable insurance group (I'd prefer one not exclusively in the funeral business) could ride out such difficulties.

Although the policy included a service, at the time the local crematoria were also overwhelmed. The cremation took place in a different town in the early morning, at short notice, as they had a gap, and no mourners were allowed. None. One friend stood respectfully at the gate but was not allowed inside.

Some tw@ on here denied that such a thing could happen.

You can imagine how I felt about his denials.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Pre-payment plans are a bit like all inclusive cheap holidays. Once they have your money, they can do what they like.

Some of the plans have gone bust, leaving people high and dry.

 

[carmanmemoranda]

Do you expect your estate to have sufficient funds to cover the cost of the funeral you want? If so, it's probably best to write the sort of thing you would like to happen and any words to your family. My Dad did this and it was really nice to follow his wishes.

Pre-payment plans are a bit like all inclusive cheap holidays. Once they have your money, they can do what they like.

Similar experience.

My advice after my parents funerals.

Make a will, make sure your children ( or other beneficiaries) have a copy. There is no argument after the death if everybody is clear with the details. Include any things that you want to happen, or not happen.
Let those who will arrange your funeral know of your desires, type of funeral, cremation etc, celebration of life type, etc.
As long as your estate leaves enough to cover the cost of the funeral, the cost can be covered by it directly, before the estate is fully sorted (subject to official paperwork).

 

[JohnD]

I wonder if you could get an insurance or savings plan that would pay out to your executors or the funeral directors for the funeral? So they could arrange it as you wished?

This is not something I have needed to do, but I understand banks will release funds from a deceased account to pay for a funeral, before probate. They are I hear less concerned if it is a small account.

 

[ETAF]

my mum paid a funeral plan with her local undertakers , which i did not know about until about 6mths before she died
When i came to use it , so much was NOT included in the cost and so they took £2,500 from her, which she could have used at the time , as money was tight for here , and the estate (which was very very small) ended up paying another £2,000+

so be very careful

a friend of mine decided she wants no fuss noone to attend and so she signed up to pure cremation - yet to see how that works out , as i am an executer on the will

 

[MNW67]

One thing most people don't realise about the cheap direct cremations you see advertised is that you won't be cremated at your local crematorium. You will be shipped, possibly hundreds of miles away, to a crematorium owned by that company. Whether that bothers someone is down to them. But I found it interesting when a family member died a few years ago.

 

[motorbiking]

my mum paid a funeral plan with her local undertakers , which i did not know about until about 6mths before she died
When i came to use it , so much was NOT included in the cost and so they took £2,500 from her, which she could have used at the time , as money was tight for here , and the estate (which was very very small) ended up paying another £2,000+

so be very careful

a friend of mine decided she wants no fuss noone to attend and so she signed up to pure cremation - yet to see how that works out , as i am an executer on the will

Sorry to bring bad news, but a quick glance of their terms & conditions, suggests its not good value.

Our Terms and Conditions | Pure Cremation

Our terms and conditions for our Prepaid Plan outlines everything you need to know, including what to do if you need to make changes

www.purecremation.co.uk

- The default Crematorium seems to be Andover.
- A lot isn't included - no funeral ceremony at the crematorium or mourners attending the committal. There is no hearse, limousine, flowers or a minister or celebrant. And there is no choice of crematorium.
- Paying up front in one go - is more expensive than paying ad-hoc. This seems odd as they can invest your money.
- The Payment plan model is a rip off, unless you take a 10 year plan and snuff it after 2 years. Otherwise they appear to keep your money and do nothing.

This appears to be an "industrial body disposal service" my words.

 

[Scally-Ho]

@norseman Together with my wife, we decided on a Help The Aged funeral and since amalgamation with Age UK, the whole plans are now lodged with Age UK. All next of kin has to do is make one phone call and Age Uk's nominated funeral director, Dillistone & Wraighs, does the rest. We opted for a cremation with a service slot if required and one car for the one that has been left on their own. The plans have been in place for at least 20yrs and hopefully it will be a long time before the first funeral is arranged. This way nothing is left for the other to arrange, and having attended two that were with the same plans, we are happy to have already made our final arrangements.

 

[motorbiking]

It's worth remembering that the Local Authority has the obligation to step in and recover costs from the estate if there is no apparent money to arrange.

 

[JohnD]

I once went to a council burial. (religious objection to cremation).

None of the family would contribute, though one did offer to pay half if the others chipped in.

There was no church service.

He was buried in an unmarked grave

 

[motorbiking]

Have a read of what Pure cremation are offering. I think your experience might have been better.

 

[MNW67]

This appears to be an "industrial body disposal service" my words.

I thought similar.

 

[gas112]

Parents paid 1100 quid each about 20 years ago included all funeral directors / crematorium /doctors etc costs and 1 car and hearse and a minister .
When my dad died 10 years ago average cost was about 3500/4000k .
Only had to pay another 250 quid for an additional car and as i done the entire service the funeral director knocked off £190 quid as they didnt have to hire a minister . .
So when my mother goes the savings will be even more . Backed by Golden charter . But i would say if you went with the co-op then you would have no worries about things going bust .
Mate has just paid around £3500 total for both him and his mrs pure cremation with the co-op