Best Funeral Plans Compared for 2021

Safe Hands is one of the larger funeral plan providers in the UK, with a network of more than 1,600 independent consultants to help craft your plan. This is also a trustworthy provider since the money you pay towards a funeral plan is held securely in a trust until the time of your passing.

All Safe Hands funeral plans completely cover body handling and preparation, as well a hearse, bearers, a coffin, and all of the funeral director’s fees. One of the biggest differences among plans is whether or not your family gets an additional disbursement to pay for uncovered services. The basic Topaz plan, which costs just £2,390, doesn’t come with a disbursement. The more premium Pearl plan, for £3,495, includes a £1,200 disbursement. Note that all Safe Hands plans are tailored for cremation, not burial, so cemetery services will cost extra.

Another advantage to Safe Hands is that the payment options are fairly flexible. If you want to pay in monthly installments, the company doesn’t charge any additional fees as long as you are fully paid within two years. If you pay over a longer period, your plan takes effect after the first two years’ worth of payments.

• Plan Costs: £2,390 to £4,095
• Instalment Payments: Yes
• Time to Plan Coverage: 2 years
• Funeral Types: Cremation
• Body Collection: Within 25 miles

Coop Funeralcare isn’t the cheapest funeral plan provider, but the plans on offer are fairly comprehensive. All plans include body collection up to a 50-mile radius of an in-network funeral home and all fees associated with burial or cremation are covered.

However, it’s important to note that not every plan from Coop Funeralcare is maximally convenient. The basic Simple plan, which starts at £3,295, restricts the dates and times on which your family can hold your funeral. For the ability to hold a funeral on any day, you’d need to upgrade to a Bronze plan for £3,595.

One especially good thing about Coop Funeralcare is that you can make your monthly instalment payments very low. The company allows paying over a period of up to 25 years, as long as the plan is fully paid by the time you turn 80. As long as you’ve made 12 monthly instalment payments, you are fully covered by the plan. Just keep in mind that interest charges will raise the cost of your plan as you extend the payment period.

• Plan Costs: £3,295 to £4,199
• Instalment Payments: Yes, up to 25 years
• Time to Plan Coverage: 1 year
• Funeral Types: Cremation and burial
• Body Collection: Within 50 miles

Age Co offers some of the best prepaid funeral plans if you’re on a tight budget. The company’s Basic plan costs just £2,895 and includes a £1,200 disbursement to help with religious services, cremation and burial fees, and anything else your family might want. You can even customize your plan with a number of special requests, many of which don’t incur an extra charge.

There are some restrictions on Age Co’s cheap funeral plan, but they are relatively minimal. The dates and times of your funeral may be limited, and your family can only choose from around 800 funeral directors rather than the full network of 1,300 directors. If you want to eliminate these restrictions, Age Co offers the Ivy plan for just £3,295.

Age Co also offers instalment payments, allowing you to pay the full price of your plan over a span of up to 25 years. You’re immediately covered under the plan as soon as you sign up. However, Age Co will only honour the agreement if your family pays the remaining plan balance in full at the time of your death. So, if your plan isn’t fully paid, your loved ones could be left with the bill.

• Plan Costs: £2,895 to £3,895
• Instalment Payments: Yes, up to 25 years
• Time to Plan Coverage: Immediate coverage
• Funeral Types: Cremation and burial
• Body Collection: Within 50 miles

Avalon stands out for offering two different cremation plans. If you’re planning on a cremation rather than a burial, this provider can help you tailor your coverage and pay less in the process.

A basic cremation with no funeral service starts at just £1,895, which is incredibly affordable. That covers all doctor’s fees and crematorium fees, so there’s absolutely nothing more your family will pay out of pocket. If you prefer a funeral service, Avalon offers a cremation plan with a service at the crematorium for £2,695. There’s no limit on the number of attendees and your family gets to choose the date and time.

Avalon also provides peace of mind if you decide to pay for your plan in monthly instalments. After you’ve made one full year of payments, you’re fully covered by the plan even if you die before paying in full. Your family doesn’t even have to pay for the remaining balance of your plan.

• Plan Costs: £1,895 to £4,245
• Instalment Payments: Yes, up to 25 years
• Time to Plan Coverage: 1 year
• Funeral Types: Cremation and burial
• Body Collection: Anywhere within the UK

Golden Charter stands out for having a network of more than 3,000 funeral directors across the UK. That means that there is almost always a local funeral home in your network and your family has a better chance of getting the funeral director they want. Most of the in-network funeral homes are local, family-run businesses that care about helping your family through the grieving process.

Golden Charter’s basic funeral plans are a bit bare-bones in their coverage, however. The Value plan, which costs £2,895, only covers body collection with 25 miles and only during business hours. While there’s a disbursement included, it’s only £800 as opposed to the £1,200 that other providers offer. Your funeral can also only be held on a weekday with the Value plan.

Like other funeral plan providers, Golden Charter offers a guarantee that you’ll be covered if you die before fully paying your plan instalments. Coverage starts after two years, and your family doesn’t need to pay the balance if you die before paying in full. You can also feel good about trusting Golden Charter, since the provider comes recommended by the Funeral Planning Authority.

• Plan Costs: £2,895 to £4,099
• Instalment Payments: Yes, up to 25 years
• Time to Plan Coverage: 2 years
• Funeral Types: Cremation and burial
• Body Collection: 25 miles